To Live Together, Die Together
by Neo Rabbit Keeper Of NeoVerse
Summary: Two destined lovers share a lifelong friendship, a unified love, and an eternal bond so sacred that nothing could tear them apart. But an inevitable fate awaits them in the future. SpyroxCynder. R/R. No Flames!
1. Blissful Love

**To Live Together; Die Together  
A Spyro the Dragon Fan Fiction  
by Neo Rabbit**

**Disclaimer**: Spyro the Dragon & Co. are property of Krome.

_For those of you who has read 'Together' and enjoyed it, here's a prequel to that very story as reward to the gracious reviewers for the numerous reviews on that story. That was kind of a first for me. Anyway, without further delays, enjoy! _

**_Rating:_ R for Some Language, and A Scene of Graphic Violence **

**_Alternate Rating:_ M for Violence, Blood, and Language **

**_Genre:_ Romance, and Drama  
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**_Chapter One:_ Blissful Love**

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_Spyro and Cynder._

_Two dragons who were once enemies in the past are now kindred spirits._

_Some would say that this bond of friendship and love was destined while some says otherwise._

_But regardless of anyone's difference of opinion, Spyro and Cynder's love remains strong and unified. _

_It was an eternal bond that no one can ever break. Not even the Dark Master himself was able to break such bond between them._

_They were intact...they were a whole. Their hearts beats in a rhythmic manner that signifies their everlasting bond._

_Their love radiated such peacefulness throughout the dragon realms both night and day. And nothing could tear them apart._

_But an inevitable fate awaits them in the future. A fate that will claim the life of one while the other is spared, which begs the question: What will be the outcome of that fate?_

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Spyro the Dragon, the purple dragon of prophecy, was, on all four, waltzing the temple's corridor with a genuine smile on his face.

At the age of eighteen, he has grown to teen size. He was muscular build from the chest up, his long leaf-like, yet triangle-tip tail swaying back and forth, his softly folded wings swaying slightly, his paws and foot claws waltzing the tile floor, and his purple orbs overseeing the entire corridor of the temple in front of him.

His two horns on the side of his head and the thorns protruding from his purple scales that trails from his head down to his tail were pretty much the same, yet the lengths of them proves differently.

Life was good for the joyous purple dragon. He has saved the world countless times in his many adventures, and has gained a number of supporters and admirers in the process.

But he has also gained something else. Or more thoroughly, someone else as he made a turn and entered a room where he approached and halted in front of a black dragoness, whose sensual beauty was positioned delicately on a cushion.

With the smile intact, he spoke.

"Morning, Cynder."

Upon notice of his presence, the black dragoness issued a smile of her own towards the purple dragon.

"Likewise to you, lover."

Cynder the Dragon, the black dragoness who, years ago, was once known to the realms as the terror of the skies was now the mate of the purple dragon of prophecy.

At Spyro's exact age, she took on a slender, sexier appearance, regardless of the slight size of her stomach. The braces on her slightly long neck, front wrists, and tail were still intact. Two of the silver horns on her cheeks, the three silver thorns to the back of her head that prtrudes from her black scales, and the four extra horns on her head were a few lengths long as well as her tail. The silver curved blade at the tip of the tail grew sharper and long as well as the blade tip that protrudes on top of her two wings.

Even her wings itself has grown a few inches as Spyro's loving purple orbs met with beautiful sapphire blue.

"By the ancestors, you're beautiful." He said, softly.

"Thank you." She spoke with the smile intact.

As Spyro approached, he made himself comfortable on the cushion next to his beloved. Afterwards, Cynder rested her head onto her mate's right shoulder while the purple dragon kissed her forehead in response.

"You sleep well?" He asked, softly.

"Well enough." She responded in kind.

Spyro issued a slight nod.

"Good."

Silence settled between the loving couple before the black dragoness, her smile slowly diverted in thought, spoke on something that was recently on her mind.

"Spyro?"

"Yes?"

Cynder withdrew from Spyro's shoulder and looked to him.

"I know that this is a little early, but, um…what's the perfect name for our upcoming child?"

With his position intact, Spyro's expression pondered the question. Recently, he has learned of Cynder's pregnancy, which made him overexcited with joy upon their first child. So much, that he didn't have time to think on names at this point.

Now the issue has came, yet the purple dragon was having difficulties on a possible name.

"You know, I'm not quite sure yet." He said before directing his gaze to her with a smile plastered on his facial feature. "Maybe if we wait for the birth, we might be able to find out a useful name for him or her."

Cynder issued a smile and nodded in response before caressing her tongue to Spyro's right cheek, which the purple dragon snickered upon the ticklish sensation, and resting her head back on his shoulder.

Afterwards, everything grew quiet as the two lovers stayed in their position, not wanting to ruin their moment of blissful love.

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**_Sorry for the shortness of this chap. Originally, I wasn't going to post this up until I have gotten pass chapter five, but once again, I got excited and couldn't wait. Heh, heh. Anyway, this is the first chap of this story. Keep on the lookout for more!_**

_Next Chap: Ember and Flame issue their help to the couple on a possible name for their upcoming child._

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	2. Name Suggestions

Chapter Two: **Name Suggestions  
**______________________________________________________________________________________  
(**Later That Morning**)

"So, have you came up with a name yet?" Ember, the pink dragoness, spoke.

Cynder sighed deeply upon the question as she, positioned on her hind legs which was something that she and her lover has learned to do while growing up, was at the moment helping her best friend, Ember, reorganize the appliances in her home.

Recently, Ember wanted to refuse the offer of help from the black dragoness out of concern due to her condition, but Cynder stated that she was fine and well since the entire pregnancy takes at least six months to process.

And due to that case in point, Ember relented on the subject.

They were momentarily done with the reorganization, sat on the nearby bed, and took a reprieve of breath for a while.

"No, we haven't thought of a name yet, Ember." Cynder spoke in response to Ember's question.

Then, she directed her gaze to Ember with a creased right brow before the pink dragoness noticed.

"Why, you got a name we can use?"

Instantly caught by surprise upon the question, Ember stammered on her words for a while before halting and diverted her gaze a bit to register her thoughts on a possible name.

"Well?" Cynder pressed.

"Don't press." Ember spoke, with her gaze still droned forward in thought.

"Okay."

Silence.

"I got it." She spoke after a while with an instant smile on her face.

"You found a name?" Cynder asked, her brow intact in the same position, yet her expression piqued with interest.

Diverting her gaze to the black dragoness, Ember nodded.

"Mm-hmm."

Cynder nodded.

"Okay, lay it on me."

"If it's a girl, Cyndra."

Cynder's expression instantly grew dumbfounded, yet it proved as a disregard to the pink dragoness.

"Huh?"

"And if it's a boy, Cyndro."

"What?" Cynder spoke with a fit of laughter escaping her tone, despite her confusion.

Ember nodded.

"Yeah. Half of you, half of Spyro."

"Yeah, but…" Cynder started, as her expression was both masked with uncertainty and confusion upon the unusual names. "Cyndra and Cyndro? I mean, those names are like a male version of me and a female version of, well…me."

Then, Cynder looked to the pink dragoness, but did a double take as she noticed the pouting expression of feigning hurt that Ember was giving off towards her.

"Y-You mean, you don't like the names?" She spoke before Cynder's expression grimaced with annoyance.

"Ah, Ember, give it a rest." Cynder spoke while issuing a playful shove, with her right paw, to the pink dragoness' shoulder.

Ember chuckled inwardly upon the action as both dragoness grew in silence for a while with their attentions droned forward.

"You think that Spyro would know of any names?" Ember asked.

Cynder shook her head.

"Doubtful." She replied. "He said that maybe if we wait until birth, we'll see if we could come up with something."

"And what about him?" She asked while issuing her gaze to Cynder, who returned the gesture towards the pink dragoness. "I mean, no offense to the prophecy dragon, but I don't see him issuing any names out."

Cynder snickered.

"Yeah, don't worry. He'll probably come up with something."

* * *

_Meanwhile_…

"Say what?" Spyro spoke, an expression of perplex etched on his face as he and an orange dragon were waltzing, on their hind legs, the grassy landscapes of the village surrounded by a number of bushes and trees swaying softly in the wind.

"If it's a boy, name him Spyder." Flame, the orange dragon, spoke with a smile etched on his face. "You know, half you, half Cynder."

Spyro grew silence with the expression intact before Flame noticed, but kept his smile.

"So what do you think?"

Snickering incredulously, Spyro shook his head.

"I think you lost your damn mind."

Almost instantly, Flame's smile diverted to a frown as a sign of disappointment as Spyro noticed.

"I mean, don't get me wrong. The name's fine unless the kid was walking around on eight legs like a goddamn octopus or, uh…an actual spider. Not to mention that, assuming it's a boy, he'll have the wings of a dragon."

Instantly, Flame, after clear thought, has gotten the idea and nodded.

"Good point."

Spyro nodded in response before diverting his attention forward with Flame doing likewise.

Both grew in awkward silence for a while.

"So, you came up with a—" Flame started before Spyro, with a groan of annoyance, braced his left paw to his forehead and shook his head.

Flame noticed before Spyro issued his annoyed gaze to him.

"What?" The orange dragon questioned.

"Really, Flame? You're asking me the same question you asked me the first time even thought I already gave you an answer?"

Flame shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, hey, I'm just checking to see if that noggin of yours has got any ideas. I mean, I doubt Cynder would come up with any kind of names for the kid."

Spyro snickered inwardly and diverted his gaze forward.

"You best hope that she doesn't hear you say that."

"Why? Because she used be—" Flame started before being greeted with a harsh smack to the back of the head by the purple dragon's tail.

The orange dragon flinched in pain upon the action while bracing and rubbing his left paw to his head.

"Ow!" Flame spoke before issuing his glare to Spyro, who kept his attention forward and his smile intact. "Dude, that was harsh."

"Flame, what did I tell you about bringing that up?"

"Alright, sorry, my bad. It won't happen again."

"Apology accepted."

As his glaring expression loosened, a snicker escaped Flame's maw as the two dragons resumed their walk, eventually coming across a clearing where the bright sun was radiating overhead from the skies.

Both Flame and Spyro, positioned from their hind legs down to their haunches, looked up to the skies as the purple dragon's smile remained intact, yet a thought entered his mind as his orange traveling companion noticed.

"Something on your mind?"

Silence.

"At the moment." The purple dragon answered.

"Care to share?" Flame spoke out of interest as Spyro kept his dreamily stare to the skies.

"You, uh…you ever wonder just how lucky you are to be with the one that you really care about?" He spoke with his gaze intact to the skies.

Silence. Then a nod issued from Flame.

"Sometimes." He answered before directing his gaze to the skies. "But most of the time, I always wonder if Ember and I were truly meant to be together and have something wonderful like what you and Cynder have."

Diverting his gaze slightly from the skies to the side, Spyro grew silence in thought for a while.

"Do you believe in fate, Flame?"

Upon the question, Flame issued his attention to Spyro before providing an answer.

"Most of the time."

"Then, you have nothing to worry about. A wise dragon once said, '_He who believes in fate, is guided, not by the intuition of the mind, but by the essence of the heart, towards one's true love. Thus that true love becomes his soul mate._'" Spyro spoke before directing his attention to Flame, who grew silence upon the speech. "I'm assuming you know what that means."

Flame nodded.

"Destined love. And I'm assuming that Ignitus told you those things."

Spyro nodded.

"Yeah, it was something along those lines that he recently got me thinking about."

Flame snickered inwardly.

"Go figure. By the way, where are the other guardians?"

Spyro shook his head.

"Don't know. I figured that I would ask Ignitus about that later on."

"Oh. Anyway, before the name suggestion came up, you mentioned something about a romantic night involving a certain black dragoness. What's that about?"

"Come on, let me show you." Spyro spoke after issuing a head gesture to Flame, who followed the purple dragon.

* * *

**That's it for chapter two! Once again, I apologize for the shortness of the chap. Keep a lookout for more**.

Next Chap: _Spyro and Cynder issue their plans for a romantic night together_.


	3. Planning a Romantic Night

Chapter Three: **Planning a Romantic Night**

* * *

Inside a room of the temple, Flame's eyes widened and his mouth hung ajar upon an awe-inspiring sight that he was seeing while Spyro's wide smile told the tale.

Positioned on both of Spyro's paws was an open box that withheld a gleaming golden necklace inside. Attached to the necklace was a gold heart-shaped pendant with, unbeknownst to the orange dragon, but noticeable by the purple dragon, engraved writings on the back.

Flame practically stammered on his words upon this display as Spyro noticed and chuckled.

"Huh? Huh? Isn't this the most beautiful piece of jewelry you've ever seen?"

Silence, with the awe-inspiring expression intact, Flame swallowed a bit of saliva before he managed to speak.

"I'll say it is."

Spyro snickered as he closed the box, placed it back in the cabinet and shut the double doors.

Afterwards, the purple dragon took note of Flame's awe-inspiring expression directed towards him.

"Flame, you alright?" He spoke, after managing a snicker from his maw, yet his concern masked his expression for the orange dragon.

Silence.

"By all the ancestors noble and holy, where in God's name did you get the gems to buy something like that?"

Silence issued from the purple dragon, yet a smug smile was plastered on his face.

"I guess it was my hero status." He spoke before patting the disappointed orange dragon on the left shoulder before making his leave.

But before he made his way out the door, he turned back towards Flame.

"Oh, Flame," He spoke, which got the orange dragon's attention. "What you just saw does _not_ leave this room, understand? It's a surprise for our—Cynder and I--little romantic night."

Flame nodded.

"Oh, yeah, no, it's cool. My maws clamped shut on this one, man."

Spyro chuckled.

"Yeah, it better stay that way, too. See you later at training."

Flame nodded.

"See ya." He responded as he watched the purple dragon depart from the room.

* * *

At approximately the same hour, Cynder, who was waltzing the grassy landscape of the village area towards the temple with her pink dragoness friend, was arranging a romantic surprise of her own for her romantic night with the purple dragon.

Her only audience to bare witness to that surprise at the moment is Ember, who was finding difficulties containing herself of her excitement at the moment as the black dragoness took notice.

"So where is it? Whe—" She spoke out of excitement before the black dragoness intervened.

"Hey, hey, wou-would you calm down for a minute?"

"I'm—" Ember halted before, with her attention directed forward, closing her eyes and issuing a breath of calm from her maw to Cynder's notice. "I'm calm."

But the black dragoness grew unconvinced by that statement.

"You sure about that?"

"Ye—"

As her expression diverted for a while, Ember halted and sighed heavily to keep her excitement under control.

"Cynder, please don't ask me that again or I might lose my sanity."

Diverting her gaze forward, Cynder provided a nod.

"Fair enough."

"Thank you." She replied before, with her smile returning, issuing her gaze back to the black dragoness. "So where is it?"

"I hid it where Spyro wouldn't be able to find it." Cynder spoke in a smug tone.

Confusion masked Ember's expression while her left brow creased upon the statement. Yet, there was no actual answer to her question.

"Really. So, uh…whe-where is it again?"

Cynder chuckled inwardly before issuing her gaze to the pink dragoness.

"You really want to know?"

Ember nodded.

"Yeah, I really want to know."

"You think you can keep a secret?"

Ember, to the black dragoness' notice, hesitated upon the question before providing her answer.

"…Yes."

Cynder shook her head before diverting her attention forward.

"No, you wouldn't."

Slightly disappointed by the response, Ember spoke in her own defense.

"Y-Yes, I would."

"No, you wouldn't."

"And how can you know that?"

"Because you hesitated, that's how I can know that."

Ember was about to speak on the subject before Cynder intervened.

"Yeah, you and I both know that you couldn't keep a secret for that long. And even if you did, it's only a matter of time before it's just the slip of the tongue."

Ember grimaced.

"Oh, please." She spoke before halting Cynder and herself from walking any further as the black dragoness issued Ember her full attention with a smug smile intact to her face. "Enlighten me for a second: When was the last time that I ever let certain details slip through my tongue?"

"Okay. Last time you let something slip through your tongue was last year when you spoke of the _secret_ intimacy between myself and Spyro, which kind of got us in some heat with Ignitus and the other guardian." She spoke without any hints of rudeness towards her.

A blush of embarrassment issued on Ember's cheeks upon the statement.

"Oh. Sorry about that."

Cynder would've snickered upon that statement, but unfortunately, her smug smile diverted to a frown to the pink dragoness' notice.

"Ember, there's nothing to be sorry about. Your slip of the tongue does not and will not change our friendship with each other. That was all in the past. Besides, I have no intention of holding that much of a grudge against anyone. Because, believe it or not, the more I hold grudges to someone, the more I'm reminded about the monster that I once was. I swore to myself that I would never become that monster again."

Silence, Ember issued a loving smile of compassion towards the black dragoness.

"Cynder, you never were a monster." She spoke as her gaze and smile slowly diverted downward for a while in thought. "If anything, it's the opposite."

Cynder knew where this conversation was going, but couldn't get a word out before Ember spoke.

"You know, back when I was young, I did have my first crush on the purple dragon of prophecy. It was a romantic dream come true. Truthfully, I grew envious towards you when you came back into the picture years later."

Then, an expression of both anger and guilt formed on Ember's facial feature to Cynder's notice.

"Ember—" Cynder started before the pink dragoness intervened.

"I mean, I even claimed that you stole him from me. Hell, I even—I even called you the terror of the skies, which is something that you loathed to be called for years. To me, _that_ was not just a slip of the tongue, _that_ was an emotion of envy."

"Ember—"

"A-And—"

"Hey!" Cynder slightly shouted, as Ember halted her speech out of surprise while the black dragoness issued a measure of calm and resumed in a soft tone. "I know what you're trying to say. Now the whole altercation between us came due to one's emotion of sheer envy. That does _not_ make you a monster. You understand me? You say what you feel that needs to be said. Expressing emotions like that is what makes us normal. As long as you control those emotions, no harm will come to you or anyone else."

Ember knew that Cynder was right on that subject, yet she didn't get a chance to speak her words out of guilt before the black dragoness halted her from speaking with a slow gesture of her left paw.

"You do not have to be sorry for anything. Because it's like I said, everything is in the past. That's all."

Silence issued from the pink dragoness before a heart-warming smile appeared on her facial feature.

"Thank you." She spoke softly.

Cynder returned the smiling gesture before she and Ember resumed their approach towards the temple.

* * *

In a decorated room inside the temple, Ember's widened eyes of shock sparkled to a glittering sight before her. Within an open rectangular box that the black dragoness withheld in her two paws was a similar golden necklace with a gold heart-shaped pendant attached to it.

Unbeknownst to the pink dragoness but to the awareness of Cynder, the same engraved writing was embedded on the back of the pendant.

"Oh…my…God." Ember managed to speak while her maw remains ajar. "Is this for—"

She halted as she diverted her gaze to the black dragoness for answers, yet Cynder's wide smile has told Ember all that needed to be said at this point.

"No way." She said before diverting for awed expression towards the jewelry in the box.

Chuckling, Cynder nodded.

"Yes, way." She spoke before issuing her gaze to Ember. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Ember nearly choked on her words before nodding in response.

Upon notice of the pink dragoness inability to speak at the moment, Cynder closed the box, and placed it back into the first shelf of the drawer before closing it.

Ember momentarily shook from her stupor and issued her gaze to Cynder, who immediately issued a stern, yet gentle warning to the pink dragoness not to ruin the surprise by telling anyone, especially her beloved.

Ember nodded in response as the two female dragons left the room to the corridor hallway.

* * *

**_Well, there you have it! But don't you wish that something like this could be longer? I do if I had found a way to apply more details. That's possibly one of the difficulties of writing a romance/drama story, but, oh, well. Also, thanks for the reviews, this really helps the inspiration. As usual, keep on the lookout for more. Ciao!_**

Next Chap: _Spyro issues a heartwarming commitment to Cynder in regards to their future._


	4. Gifts and Commitment

Chapter Four: **Gifts and Commitment**

* * *

(**Thirty Minutes Later**)

Flame grunted as his body collided face first on the clearing ground of the training room while a purple dragon was weighing on the back of his entire body, his wings included, pinning him down and grasping his right arm in a tight submission lock.

Flame clenched his teeth tightly to keep from screaming as he could almost feel the slight cracking bones in his shoulder, which will ultimately lead to the point of dislocation. Nonetheless, the orange dragon started struggling from this predicament while droplets of sweat stained his face.

Momentarily, he tried to use his tail as a means of escaping this submission grip, but the purple dragon used his own tail to remedy that problem.

Meanwhile, Spyro, with droplets of sweats staining his face as well upon the thirty minute workout, was having himself a pleasurable time in this exercise, yet he tried not to get too aggressive in this task by snapping the bones in his friend's arm. In training, he believed in merciful surrender.

"Yield, Flame." He spoke.

But in Flame's case, that wasn't something that he was keened of doing.

"Hell, no!" He spoke as the struggled resumed.

Watching from the large entryway of the room were Ignitus, Cynder, and Ember. The other guardians were clearly absence at the time as the three that were presence grew impressed by both competitors.

"Well, they are both competitive and resilience, I'll give them that." Ember complimented.

Cynder nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. How long do you think they've been going at it, Ignitus?"

"For the better part of thirty minutes." He responded after a chuckle escaped his maw.

Cynder grew briefly stunned by the comment.

"Huh. Wow. And they showed no signs of giving up either. However, seeing Flame's predicament, I'm beginning to think that ceases to be true at the moment."

With her gaze fixated on the competitors, Ember shook her head.

"Nah, Flame never gives up."

Although unconvinced, Cynder shrugged her shoulders, her wings flapping slightly to that gesture, upon the comment.

"Neither does Spyro, but, um…" She started before issuing her gaze and competitive smile to Ember, who returned the gaze out of curiosity. "Five gems says that Flame punks out before or after the snap of his arm."

Feeling a bit competitive herself, Ember issued a smile and nodded.

"I'll take that bet." Ember answered.

Cynder nodded in response before they, along with Ignitus, directed their attention back to the training area.

Meanwhile, Spyro, with his hold still on the struggling orange dragon, managed to steal a glance towards the direction of Cynder and Ember and, judging by the body language originating from the two dragoness', took note of an exchange developing between them.

And upon that notice, a wide smirk appeared on the purple dragon's facial feature before directing his attention to Flame.

"Yield!" He spoke.

While struggling, Flame shook his head.

"No, no way." He spoke, defiantly. "Heroes never yield."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

Seeking proof of that statement, Spyro applied pressure on the submission hold while Flame cries out from the pain, yet he refused to give in to the purple dragon of prophecy.

"How 'bout now, huh?"

Once again, Flame shook his head.

"No!"

At the entryway, during the watch, Ignitus looked to the left where a medium-sized hourglass was positioned on the stand of the sidewall.

Upon notice of that last drop of sand to the bottom of the contraption, Ignitus directed his attention back to the two dragons in the training field.

"Time's up, you two!" He spoke much to the orange dragon's relief.

Yet, to Flame's notice, Spyro refused to release the hold.

"You heard him, Spyro. Time's up." Flame spoke.

Spyro shook his head.

"Nuh-uh, no, not until you yield."

With a grunt of pain escaping his maw, Flame spoke.

"Why?"

With a mischievous smirk on his face, Spyro spoke.

"Because five gems are stacked on us."

"What?!" Flame spoke, out of surprise.

And in that moment, Flame's loosened his struggle, which provided the purple dragon to apply swift pressure to the arm. And then…

_SNAP!_

Cynder and Ember cringed upon the resounding snap issuing from the arm followed by the painful yelp of the orange dragon while the purple dragon kept his smirk.

"Your mistake." Spyro spoke while Flame was heavily breathing in panic upon the feeling of numbness from the dislocated arm.

"Okay. Okay, I submit." He spoke in a soft tone, yet it was beyond earshot of the purple dragon.

"What?"

"I submit!!" He shouted.

Instantly, Spyro released his hold on him, which gave Flame a reprieve.

As Spyro stood up on his hind legs, he, with his left grasp to the orange dragon's good left arm, helped Flame to his feet.

At the moment, the orange dragon, still feeling the effect of numbness, was caressing his dislocated arm while issuing his defeated glare towards the purple dragon.

Spyro, with the smirk intact, took note of it and decided to speak on the matter.

"The most important rule of training is to never let your guard down." He spoke in a singsong tone.

Before Flame could speak his words, a strong, yet physical jab issued to the orange dragon's right shoulder, which as a result, relocated his arm.

Flame flinched and grunted painfully upon the action as he turned and saw that it was Ember who applied the attack. And judging by the disappointed look in her eyes, the physical attack was for a possible good reason.

"_'Heroes never yield_,' my ass." She spoke as Cynder, with a chuckle escaping her maw, was by Spyro's side as they watched. "I mean, really, Flame, what have you got to say for yourself?"

"Yeah, Flame, what have you got to say for yourself, huh?" Spyro teased.

Immediately, Ember pointed in his direction while the purple dragon, upon notice, instantly raised both his paws up defenselessly.

"Y-You keep out of this, Spyro." She spoke before lowering her pointing paw from his level.

"Alright, sorry." He apologized, lowering his paws afterwards before the pink dragoness directed her attention back to Flame.

"Well?" She pressed.

Panting a bit, Flame, while bracing his relocated shoulder, swallowed a bit of saliva and spoke.

"Firstly, ouch! Secondly, thank you. And finally, you and Cynder bet on us?!"

Ember nodded.

"Yeah. Now thanks to you, I'm out five gems."

"Yeah, t-to which I would expect to have whenever you get it." Cynder pointed out, with the smug smile intact.

With a nod and a gesture of her paw to indicate that she was aware of her situation, Ember spoke while her acknowledgment was intact to Flame.

"Yeah, yeah, now do me a favor and leave us, please."

Respectfully, Cynder issued a curt bow to her before she and Spyro made their leave from the training area alongside Ignitus while Ember and Flame were left to argue on today's disappointing loss.

* * *

As the three dragons, positioned on all four, waltzed the corridor, both Spyro and Cynder chuckled upon hearing the argument take place inside the training area as Ignitus took note of this with a smile.

"It appears that you two have enjoyed this."

"Ha-Ha, I'll say." Cynder spoke. "Ember might think that I'll never let her live this bet loss down."

"Likewise with Flame on the training exercise." Spyro spoke with a chuckle escaping his maw before a recent thought crossed his mind as he directed his pondering gaze to the fire guardian. "Oh, Ignitus, I've been meaning to ask you, where are the other guardians? I haven't seen them around since this morning."

"Hey, yeah, I haven't seen them either." Cynder spoke, her pondering gaze directed to the fire guardian and her thoughts mirroring her purple companion.

Ignitus issued a snicker from his maw nefore acknowledging them.

"You need not worry yourselves, young ones. Terrador and his grandson, Terradon, are spending time with each other outside of the village for the day."

Cynder nodded.

"That part was kind of obvious. What about the others?"

"Cyril and Volteer had other matters to attend to at the moment."

"Anything urgent?" Spyro questioned out of concern.

Ignitus shook his head.

"Nothing of that nature that I am aware of, no."

With a breath of relief escaping their maw in unison, Spyro and Cynder diverted their gaze forward.

"Thanks the ancestors. The last thing that I need is another trip to save the world." Spyro spoke.

Instantly, to Cynder's notice, Ignitus issued his gaze to the purple dragon with a creased right brow as the purple dragon noticed and got on subject on the matter.

"I mean, don't get me wrong. I do not doubt my destiny. It's great and all, but it can also be tiring at times."

"Okay, see, _that_ I agree on." Cynder spoke.

With his attention directed forward, Ignitus issued a nod.

"Perhaps you are right. Maybe you two are in need of rest."

Spyro and Cynder directed their gaze forward and nodded in agreement.

"Maybe you're right." They both spoke as they resumed down the corridor.

* * *

It was the beginning of the evening as Spyro and Cynder, whom has recently separated themselves from Ignitus in the corridor a few hours ago, were standing in the middle of their quarters in silence with common thoughts protruding in their minds.

It was time for the two lovers to administer their surprising gifts to each other; neither one knowing what gift is granted to them at the moment, yet were excited to see otherwise.

"So where is it?" Cynder asked, excitement masking her facial feature.

Silence occupied the purple dragon's maw as well as the smile that graced his feature.

"Close your eyes." He spoke softly.

Although slightly disappointed, Cynder complied by slowing closing her eyes.

At that moment, Spyro quietly made his way towards the nearby cabinet where the small box was occupied in.

Spyro opened the box and, with his left paw, took out the golden necklace hidden inside. Afterwards, he closed the box, placed it inside the cabinet and silently closed the double doors before making his way back to his beloved.

As he advanced quietly towards her, he slowly, yet silently positioned the necklace delicately around her neck.

The cold sensation of the jewelry caused the black dragoness to shiver at the moment, yet she kept her eyes closed as Spyro, upon close observation of the necklace around his beloved, took a few steps back from her position.

"Okay. Open your eyes."

As soon as Cynder opened her eyes and looked down, a surprising gasp escaped her maw upon the sight of the sparkling jewelry around her neck. Although, she noticed that it seems identical to the one that she will present to him momentarily, she was still marveled over the feature of the jewelry.

"By the ancestors." She spoke softly.

She took the pendant of the jewelry by her left paw and could clearly see the moonlight gracing itself around the golden pendant.

The sight of that made her glitter with tears, yet she managed to hold it back before issuing her delightful gaze towards her one true love.

"Thank you." She spoke in the same tone as before.

With a graceful smile, Spyro nodded.

"Welcome."

Then, his expression changed to one of excitement.

"Now it's my turn. Where's my gift?" He spoke in a child-like manner.

Cynder managed a snicker upon Spyro's child-like demeanor. Perhaps it was part of the reason why she loves him so much.

"You are so silly. Okay, close your eyes." She spoke.

Seeing that this was same method used on her, Spyro complied and closed his eyes before Cynder departed from his position to retrieve his surprise gift.

Slight sounds nearby have caught the purple dragon's sense of hearing, yet he kept his eyes closed.

After a while, Cynder made her way back to him and provided the necklace to Spyro in the same slow and silent fashion that the purple dragon has done for her.

However, as soon as the cold sensation caressed his purple scales, Spyro, out of instinct, flinched and inadvertedly opened his eyes, much to Cynder's dismay.

"Hey, no peeking!" She spoke with a grimace in her expression.

Yet, it was too late as the purple dragon's expression grew of stunned surprise and confusion upon sight of the familiar jewelry around his neck. Didn't he give one like that to her? He thought he did, but when he issued his brief gaze to his beloved, he noticed the necklace still gracing around her neck before returning his gaze to the necklace in his paw.

"Sorry." He eventually spoke, absent-mindedly with his expression intact towards the jewelry, which took on the similarity of the one that he presented to her.

But regardless, he slowly changed his expression to a delightful smile nonetheless as Cynder noticed.

"You like it?"

"Despite the similar looks, it's beautiful."

Then, with the smile intact, his purple gaze droned onto sapphire blue as Cynder did likewise with a common expression.

"It's beautiful just like your eyes, shining in the moonlight of the night." Spyro complimented, which provided silence from the black dragoness, yet her smile remained.

"Likewise and thank you." She spoke softly.

Spyro nodded.

"Look behind the pendant."

In compliance, Cynder slowly grasped the pendant in her left paw, diverted it clockwise, and saw engraved writing on the golden object.

Her expression grew of admiration as she started to read while Spyro started to perform the same method.

"_'To my one true love. You are my heart to beat; you are my soul to keep_. _You are my bright sun; you are my everlasting moon_. _You are my love._'" She spoke softly before slowly issuing her attention to Spyro, who issued his gaze to her with a loving smile and a common expression on his face.

"'_To my one true love. You are my salvation from the pit of darkness; you are my angel of light from the heavens_. _You are my love_.'" He memorized while his attention was droned to the black beauty in front of him.

It became a heartwarming silence between the two as their expressions and smiles brightened with happiness and joy. Neither knew what to say to the other for pass seconds, yet two words came out in unison from both parties.

"Thank you."

Both snickered from their maw upon issuing the same comment at the same time, yet halted as they looked into each other's eyes. Purple staring into sapphire blue with such love, devotion, and affection.

Slowly, they started approaching each other as Spyro and Cynder embraced one another into a passionate kiss. Their tongues wrestling amongst their maws, as they tasted one another while their paws caressed softly against each other's scales, their wings slightly flapping in reaction to their soft embraces.

Momentarily, they slowly lowered themselves down onto the nearby cushion in the room while resuming their romantic lovemaking.

* * *

Ten minutes has came to pass as Spyro and Cynder, with their loving gazes droned on each other, were laid comfortably on the cushion while catching their breath from their recent romance.

"That was the most romantic gift that anyone could present to me." Cynder spoke, while softly caressing the proud golden chest of her purple lover.

A slight growl of affection emitted from his throat from the warm touch as Spyro spoke while performing the same action with Cynder's ruby red chest.

"Yeah, took a while to engrave those little words into the gold."

With a same slight growl of pleasure escaping her maw from the recent warm touch, Cynder nodded.

"Yeah, me too…But the necklace isn't what this is about."

Spyro creased his right brow in curiosity.

"Oh? What is it?"

Silence occupied the black dragoness' maw, yet the smile remained along with her loving gaze to the purple dragon.

"This." She spoke while gesturing her right paw to herself and Spyro in indication to her statement. "The, uh...the love that we shared last year, the one just now, and the gift of a hatchling on the way is nothing short as one of the greatest and loving gifts a dragoness could ask for. And for that, I thank you."

"Cynder…" Spyro started delicately as he sat up in a sitting position while gently pulling his beloved to his length by the grasp of his right paw to her left.

Momentarily, he managed to issue a gentle grasp of both the black dragoness' paws into the cup of his own paws before resuming with the loving smile present on his feature while Cynder listened intently with the same expression present on her face.

"Cynder, you are fate's gift to me. More than that, you are destiny's gift to me. You've kept me whole, you kept me fighting to the bitter end, and more importantly, you kept me alive and breathing. Even when you were away for a couple of years during my young days of adventure seeking, you still kept me going. You have always given me something to believe in…something to fight for…something to live for. You gave that to me. And whatever future lies before us, I swear to you on my life that we will live together, and we will die together. _That_ is a promise."

Cynder's expression throughout that heartwarming speech grew of stunned surprise towards the purple dragon, yet hearing those words brought walls of heartfelt tears to her eyes.

"Oh, Spyro…" He spokes softly before embracing her purple lover into a hug while Spyro returned the affection in kind. "We will live together, we will die together. I love you so much."

Spyro could feel a droplet of her tears staining down his back to the membrane of his right wing, yet disregarded it and kept the embrace with the loving smile gracing his feature.

"I love you, too." He spoke, softly.

As Spyro and Cynder's wings softly graced around each other's feature, their affectionate embrace lasted for minutes, yet it felt like eternity as the gentle moonlight dawned upon them from the outside through the room's glass-less window.

* * *

_**Well, it looks like Spyro and Cynder are enjoying their romantic night, but this was just the beginning. Until next chap! Ciao!**_

Next chap: _A romantic night under the moon's light turns into a night of tragedy._


	5. A Gruesome Fate

Chapter Five: **A Gruesome Fate  
**

_Warning_: **This chapter contains a scene of graphic bloody violence.**

* * *

(**Two Hours Later**)

As night progresses, Spyro and Cynder, with their surprise jewelry gracing around both their necks, were waltzing, on their hind legs, the landscapes of the dragon village together, paw in paw slightly at their sides as they walked with their tails entwined together, while conversing along the way.

Recently, they have informed the other elders, Terrador, Cyril, and Volteer being present after their brief absence, of their romantic night together outside and that they would return in a few hours.

But on their way, Hunter and Bianca has made their return after a romantic day with each other as well as Sparx, who recently have been spending a romantic time with a beautiful fairy by the name of Zoe.

Both dragons were glad upon their return, but at the moment, Spyro was on the subject of the name suggestions from yesterday and was in disbelief upon the suggestions provided by his black beauty.

"Cyndra and Cyndro? Please tell me you're kidding."

With her gaze droned forward, Cynder shook his head while the purple dragon's expression of disbelief was droned to her.

"No."

"And Ember came up with this?"

Cynder nodded.

"Yeah."

"And I'm to assume that she suggested these names because…"

"Half of you, half of me, yes." Cynder intervened with a nod.

With his gaze directed forward and his maw ajar, an incredulous breath exhaled from his maw while a snicker followed shortly after.

"Unbelievable…Whe-Where did they come up with these names?"

Cynder shook her head.

"I don't—" She halted and issued her suspicious gaze to Spyro upon his comment.

Upon anticipation of his mistake, the purple dragon nervously took note of Cynder's expression as the black dragoness, upon notice of the expression, issued a smile on her face.

"Wait a minute, who's 'they?'"

"I-I mean, 'She.'" His spoke while his eyes were shifting in discomfort, to which Cynder took note of.

"Yeah, no, I heard you say 'They.' W-Who's 'they?'"

With his nerves intact, Spyro shrugged his shoulders, his wings flickering in reaction to that.

"Nothing. It was just a slip of the tongue."

Cynder nodded unconvincingly upon the excuse.

"Yeah, at least now I know who else has gotten that problem. Now answer the question."

In silence, Spyro directed his gaze forward before speaking while the black dragoness kept her attention to him.

"Cynder, really, it's nothing."

"Spyro…?" She pressed.

"Yeah?" He responded timidly, his gaze returning to meet sapphire blue.

"Did somebody suggested a name to you for our child?"

Once again, the purple dragon grew in hesitant silence.

"…Maybe."

The look on Cynder's face grew unconvincing to Spyro's notice as he issued a sigh of defeat from his maw while his expression mirrored his actions.

"Okay, Flame suggested it to me."

With a nod, Cynder directed her attention forward.

"It figures. So what name did he suggested to you?"

"A bullshit name." He answered with his gaze directed forward.

"Oh, yeah? Elaborate."

Spyro grew hesitant for a while.

"…He wants me to name the kid, Spyder."

A dumbfounded expression masked the black dragoness' facial feature as well as a creased right brow towards the purple dragon upon the name.

"Spyder? Really?"

Upon notice of her expression, Spyro nodded.

"Yeah, it's…" He started to say before Cynder, by the gesture of her left paw, halted him from that attempt.

"Yeah, don't-don't tell me. Half you, half me, right?"

Spyro nodded.

"Oh, yeah."

The expression on Cynder's face mirrored Spyro's earlier facial expression as she directed her gaze forward while the purple dragon followed suit.

"Where did they come up with these names is right." Cynder muttered.

Spyro nodded in agreement as they resumed their walk while continuing their conversation along the way. However, both dragons failed to acknowledge that they were being observed from a far-off distance.

* * *

A seemingly lone silhouette, who was large in size, was positioned at the edge of a cliff. Its feature cloaked in the shadows regardless of the moonlight in the night, yet its hand was seen at its right side that tightly grasped an amulet with mysterious insignias on it.

With its attention droned forward, the unknown entity was observing the two dragons waltzing the soil of the forest with a growl of disdain escaping its maw upon the mere sight of them.

But its sight mostly settled on a certain purple dragon, which resulted in a snarl of immense hatred escaping the silhouette's maw followed by its right hand tightening around the object.

The object in question was shimmering slightly in dark coloration upon the entity's action, yet the mysterious silhouette paid it no heed.

* * *

After having a few laughs upon their conversation, more or less on the subject of Spyro and Sparx during the course of their adventures in his young years while mostly on the subject on Ignitus' experience on romance that was discussed short of two days ago, the purple dragon in question, along with Cynder, has reached their destination upon a wide clearing.

The moonlight bathed overhead on the soil as Spyro and Cynder halted at the spot in observance to this sight.

Then, a memory resurfaced into the black dragoness' mind, which provided a smile from her as Spyro noticed.

"You recognized this spot?"

"Yes." She spoke softly with a nod and, her smile intact, issued her loving gaze to her purple companion. "This is where we first made love. Our own little love nest."

"I prefer to think of it as our '_Mating Ground_.'"

Cynder chuckled upon the name before she halted with her gaze diverted slightly from her purple lover's feature upon a thought that intruded in her mind.

Spyro noticed.

"What is it?"

Silence was the black dragoness' response at the moment before issuing her loving gaze back to Spyro.

"Nothing." She eventually answered before, to the purple dragon's notice, a competitive smile graced her facial feature. "It's just that I thought of another name to call this spot."

Slowly, discomfort framed the purple dragon's feature as he spoke.

"Is it the '_Sparing Ground_'?" Spyro anticipated.

Briefly surprised, Cynder's smile loosened to a straight position upon the comment, yet she knew the cause of that.

"The competitive expression on my face?"

Spyro nodded.

"Yeah. And normally, I would say yes to this, but unfortunately…"

"I'm pregnant." She intervened with a disappointed nod before resuming. "Look, Spyro, I'm telling this to you just as I told Ember, I'm fine. This hatchling isn't due for a couple of months."

Mentally, Spyro figured that she had a point, yet he couldn't shake the discomfort in his being as Cynder noticed.

"Yes, but…"

"Ah." Cynder, to Spyro's notice, halted him from speaking by the gesture of her index finger to the purple dragon's face.

"But…"

"Ah!"

As the black dragoness lowered her index finger from his view, the purple dragon grimaced in slight annoyance upon her actions.

"Look, Cynder—" He started before being intervened.

"What's the matter?" She asked while slowly advancing towards him with the smile intact. "Afraid a pregnant dragoness can kick your ass?"

"No!" Spyro spoke in his instant defense while holding his ground upon note of the black dragoness' advances as Cynder halted just mere inches from him.

"You're not a coward, are you?"

"No!" Spyro spoke while laughter escaping his maw. "Look, I'm not fighting you, okay?"

"Why? You fought me before."

"Yeah, no, that's different."

"Sexy different or evil different?" She spoke in a seductive, yet playful evil manner.

Slightly caught off guard by the comment, Spyro nearly stammered on his words upon the question, yet he regained himself with a playful expression of defiance on his face towards her.

"Cynder, I will not fight you."

With the playful evil smile intact, she spoke.

"You will with a little help."

Spyro nearly grew clueless upon the comment, yet before he could utter a word out, Cynder braced her right paw to his golden chest and issued a harsh shove to his bodily form.

Slightly staggering backwards upon the action, Spyro regained himself and issued his surprise gaze to his beloved.

"Cyn, you did not just push me."

Cynder nodded.

"Yeah, I just did." She spoke before approaching him an inch further. "The question is: What are you going to do about it, stud?"

Then, she issued another shove to the purple dragon's chest, which in turn, staggered him back a few inches.

"Huh?"

As Spyro regained himself, both grew unaware of a menacing presence lurking within the bushes and trees from up far, watching the two lovers' every move.

* * *

The menacing entity issued a growl upon sight of them, yet it grew unheard by anything surrounding it.

* * *

Meanwhile, Spyro issued a chuckle from his maw upon his beloved's playful actions, and during that time, he spoke on the matter.

"Y-y-you-you're enjoying yourself, are you, sweetie?"

Cynder, after a quick train of thought, issued a nod with the smile intact.

"Yeah. I would say that this is an enjoyable situation on my part. Now, are you going to fight me or—"

"Or what?" He spoke, coolly while advancing, his tail swaying in reaction, towards her position until their snouts were affectionately caressing against each other. "Hmm? You gonna go dark on me?"

"No." She spoke, her tone mirroring her purple companion, yet seduction masked that tone, which issued the purple dragon in a slight trance. "You know what I'm gonna do?"

"What?"

"Close your eyes, lover." She spoke, seductively. "And no peeking this time."

Chuckling, Spyro complied by closing his eyes, but was unprepared for what happened seconds later.

His body quickly collided its way to the ground back first with his wings widespread as his surprised purple orbs droned to the seductive sapphire orbs of the black beauty on top of him with her forepaws positioned on his proud chest, her wings flapping slightly at the back, her tail swaying playfully, and her hind legs positioned on opposite sides of his hind legs.

Then, he saw her smile. Not the menacing smile of her former self from the past, but the seductive loving smile of a black beauty. It melted the purple dragon away to see such smile grace her feature once again after everything that the past has done to her.

Regardless, he issued a smile to his face upon such playful acts.

"By the ancestors, you did not just pounce on me."

"Oh, yes, I just did, lover."

With the smile intact, Cynder lowered her head to his level and slowly, with her eyes narrowed close, caressed the purple dragon's snout with her tongue, moaning sensually in the process upon the taste of purple scales, with such lust and affection that she could almost feel Spyro's sex organs issuing its release, yet she remain heedless to it and resumed the activity.

As Cynder resumed her luscious treatment of foreplay onto her purple lover's facial feature, Spyro shivered throughout the treatment with an affectionate growl emanating from his maw while at the same time, nearly losing himself to this sensual moment and keeping his erection under control.

"My God, you're evil." He managed to speak throughout the treatment after a series of passionate moans emanated from him.

Cynder heard him, yet showed less offense to that since it was a playful gesture from him as she resumed from his face down to his neck.

"Am I?" She spoke, cooed.

"Yeah, pouncing on me like that."

"Mmm, what are you going to do about it, lover?"

Then, her answer came in the form of a quick reverse maneuver as the black dragoness issued a surprising yelp before she found herself in the same position that Spyro was in a second ago while the purple dragon made his position on top of her with his grasps on each side of her abdomen, momentarily releasing his grasps to rest on the earthly soil.

"There's your answer, sweetie." He spoke with a smile gracing his feature while Cynder, despite her panting breath, issued a chuckle from her maw.

"I guess, uh…I guess I let my guard down, huh?"

Spyro shook his head.

"Nope. We both did."

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm."

Then, Spyro lowered down to her level and issued the same luscious tongue treatment to Cynder as she did with him while both their tails were affectionately entwined together and his muzzle caressing against her scales in the process.

Cynder's moans and growls grew of affection upon her purple companion's sensual actions before momentarily returning the favor by massaging her muzzle onto his and coming into lip-lock with him.

Then, the romantic scenery was halted as a soft rustling sound has issued from the bushes, which caught Cynder's earful attention while Spyro took notice with concern.

"What is it?"

"Did you hear that?" She asked with a pondering expression directed to her surroundings.

"Hear what?"

"I don't know. It sounded like rustling in the bushes." She said, before coming to a sudden thought as her worried gaze directed to her beloved. "Does anybody else know that we're here?"

"Aside from the guardians and the others, no." Spyro spoke, yet he managed to see the discomfort in her eyes. "Look, it's probably nothing but the howling wind. I mean, it is the middle of the night, right?"

Cynder grew uncertain at this point, yet she diminished her anxiety with a slight smile on her face before nodding.

"Yeah, maybe you're right."

Spyro smiled.

"Of course I am. Now, shall we continue?" He asked while the black dragoness issued a soft chuckle from her maw.

The purple dragon's response came in the form of a passionate kiss as the romance resumed while the moon's light bathed over the two destined lovers.

Then, after nearly two to four minutes, almost abruptly, Spyro lifted his head up upon a recent thought as Cynder took note of this with a hint of concern.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh!" He spoke before he hung his head and braced his left paw to his forehead before a chuckle escaped his maw. "You know, in all of the excitement that we were having, I completely forgot about why we were out here tonight."

Cynder nearly grew clueless upon his comment, until anticipation framed her feature.

"Oh, right, you mentioned back at the temple that you have a secondary surprise for me, yeah?"

With a smile, Spyro nodded before attempting to remove himself from the top of his beloved, speaking while doing so.

"Wait until you see it. It'll be wonderful." He spoke as he waltzed, on all four, the path that they have entered from.

Piqued with interest, Cynder, to Spyro's notice, managed to position herself on all four and looked after him before speaking.

"Really? Can I come with?"

With the smile intact, Spyro, after halting his stop, shook his head before diverting his head halfway to gaze with her.

"No, No, because if you came and took a peek, it wouldn't be a surprise, now, would it?"

Cynder nodded in comprehension to his comment.

"Ah, good point. Okay, hurry back. I can hardly wait to see it."

Spyro started to turn to leave when Cynder called him back again, which halted his stop before he came to gaze with her.

"Yeah?"

"I wasn't going to tell you this until later, but I managed a perfect name for our child."

Spyro creased an eyebrow with a hint of interest.

"Really?"

Cynder nodded.

"Mm-hmm. If it's a boy, we should name him 'Amethyst.'"

Spyro diverted his gaze to the side in thought on this name.

"Amethyst meaning '_Purple_.'" He spoke before nodding and directing his approving gaze to Cynder with a smile gracing his face. "Me likey."

Cynder smiled in response.

"And if it's a girl?" He asked.

The black dragoness grew in silence thought on a name, but grew clueless at this point in time.

Upon that note, she shook her head.

"I…I don't know. I, uh…I didn't get that far ahead. Sorry."

Spyro shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. Eventually, you'll come up with something that's less of a hybrid." Spyro jested.

Cynder snickered.

"Ooooh, prophecy dragon got jokes now, huh?"

Since he was positioned on all four, Spyro fluttered his wings as an indication of shrugging his shoulders.

"I try."

Cynder nodded.

"Yeah. Try getting my gift, will you? I'll be waiting."

With a snicker escaping his maw, Spyro, with his head diverted forward, took off down the path leaving Cynder, who sat on her haunches, in the clearing of the moonlight to await her most precious surprise.

However, she became completely unaware of a lurking presence watching her at the moment.

* * *

Spyro, on all four, managed a couple of mile run as his talons and hind feet plowed the dirt path before immediately slowing his pace towards his destination near a batch of bushes.

During his travel, he made a mental note to himself to never hide any of his surprises in a far-off distance. He didn't want to stray away from his beloved too long.

He made his approach towards the bushes before standing on his two hind legs. Afterwards, he kneeled and searched throughout the greenish vegetation. Eventually, he came in contact with his findings: a set of small, elegant, beautiful pinkish roses positioned in a shape, which resembles that of a necklace.

With both his paws positioned softly underneath the set of roses, Spyro, with his eyes closed, lowered his snout to its level and took a gentle sniff of the elegant roses. The aroma itself became gentle, enchanting, and somewhat intoxicating. It was the perfect gift.

Eventually, he opened his eyes with the smile intact on his feature.

"Wow. I can't wait until she smells these beautiful things." He muttered softly.

* * *

Meanwhile, at approximately the same time frame, Cynder, who was laid comfortably on the clearing under the moonlight, was patiently awaiting the return of her purple lover as well as her surprise gift that he has planned.

Throughout the wait, she was in thought on what the gift could possibly be at the moment. Could it be something more delicate than the necklace that graced around her neck? She didn't know. But she hopes to find out as she resumed her wait.

Suddenly, a rustling sound—The same one from before--from a mid distance has caught her sharp attention.

"Spyro?" She assumed.

It was a possibility since she has known the purple dragon for his playful attic in his attempt to frighten her, yet she wasn't sure at this point as silence greeted her response before the rustling resumed.

Greatly alarmed, she slowly got up onto her hind legs and surveyed her surroundings.

Nothing. Nothing was present around her at this point, yet the rustling resumed its ominous sound in the area of the darkened night.

Then, she instantly caught sight of a shadow swiftly moving passed the bushes in the mid distance. And judging from the outline, it wasn't the silhouette of a dragon at all.

"Who's there?" She asked.

Yet, she was greeted with silence once more before, suddenly, the ominous sound of the rustling bushes has halted.

But Cynder kept her defensive position. She didn't know who were behind those bushes, but it wasn't her beloved.

And upon that fact, she decided to cautiously approach the area to find out for herself.

However, she only managed two steps forward before, out of nowhere, a metallic chain, held by a large silhouette, was wrapped around her neck from behind, which resulted in her head arching backwards.

With her eyes tightly shut and gritting her fangs to avoid a choking fit, the black dragoness, while struggling, grasped both her paws onto the chain that constricted tightly around her throat.

Slightly staggering backwards upon the mysterious silhouette's actions, Cynder struggled to remove the chain from her throat. But it proves difficult since it constricted her neck.

Upon that fact, she issued a left elbow to the left rib of the silhouette followed by a secondary one.

Both attacks issued a painful grunt from the silhouette, which resulted in the chain loosening its grip.

Upon that sensation, Cynder managed to quickly remove her head from underneath the chain and, with both grasps on the chain and with great strength, threw the silhouette onto the ground on its back before, with her left hind foot, stomped on his head simultaneously issuing a snap to its neck.

The action alone granted the heavily breathing black dragoness the privilege of gazing into the face of her motionless attacker with a startling expression framing her sapphire eyes.

The attacker was an ape; a large armored clad ape at that. Mentally, the black dragoness figured it was impossible. Their leader Gaul was dead. How are the apes still parading around their village?

Suddenly, to her puzzling startle, the motionless ape disintegrated into a cloud of black mist and before Cynder could come into mental question on that incident, a vicious growl has slowly caught her attention.

Her expression grew alarming upon the sight of, not one, not two, but four large armor clad apes, with swords in hands, positioned right near the bushes in the mid distance from her position.

Thoughts intruded on the black dragoness' mind at the moment. _What were these apes doing here? Why were they here? How could they have caught her off-guard like that so easily?_

Those were the valid questions to mind; yet she grew careless in providing that answer right away. It was four against one, which was an unfair advantage.

To that knowledge, she thought about calling out to her beloved, but he went off to retrieve her gift from a somewhat far distance. He was beyond earshot.

Then, she came upon another solution before she noticed the large apes ominously advancing towards her position.

But before any reaction was made, she, out of instinct, crouched from a quick downward sword attack that came from an armored ape positioned behind her.

As the sword missed its mark and collided with the ground, Cynder managed to quickly position herself behind the unsuspecting ape, issued a kick to its left leg, getting the ape down to her length in kneeling position and, with her left arm around its throat, crushed its larynx upon strong constriction.

As she violently threw the deceased ape to the ground where its blood spewed from its mouth to the soil upon contact and its cadaver disintegrating into black mist, she diverted her attention back to the other four apes that are constantly issuing their ominous advancement towards her a mere distance away with hungrily expressions on each of their facial features.

With an instant growl from her maw, a defensive posture, and a glaring expression on her face, she opened her maw. Out of her maw, came the reddish piercing shriek of her Siren Scream attack, which resulted in the apes' paralyzation by the sizzling red electricity of fear.

She halted her attack and switched to a new attack pattern of poison to finish them off. But before she could, she halted when she noticed the four apes disintegrating into the same black mist as before, which yet again placed her mind in wonder to these events.

Suddenly, a slight clicking sound has strayed her from her thoughts and issued her attention, but her reaction was late.

Then, out of the batch of bushes, came an object piercing against the night wind and approaching towards her at breaking speed before coming in contact with its target, followed by a painful grunt from the female dragoness.

* * *

Spyro sharply diverted his head towards the direction of the sound with a strong hint of anxiety present on his facial feature.

He recognized that piercing scream. It was the scream of his beloved. A cry for help.

"Cynder?" He spoke softly before quickly, with his grasp still to the necklace shaped set of roses, standing on his hind legs and sprinting towards the direction where the piercing sound originated.

* * *

Panting heavily, Cynder forcibly kneeled and grunted in pain, her expression cringing throughout the process, as blood gushed its way from her injured left hind legs towards the soil of the clearing ground.

The cause of the searing pain was a bronze javelin spear embedded into her leg.

With her right paw, Cynder attempted to pull the projectile free from her leg with her left paw while at the same time trying in vain to halt the flow of her life fluid with her right paw. During the attempt, blood stained her paws, yet she grew heedless to that and resumed with the procedure.

While doing so, she issued a straining grunt of pain before the projectile was released from her leg, which resulted in her blood splashing from the injury.

Placing the bloodstained spear on the soil of the ground, Cynder immediately, yet vainly with both paws, applied pressure to her injury, shuddering from the rising pain, yet cringed her teeth with endurance in the process before another clicking sound issued her attention.

Immediately, she noticed another spear zipping towards her from the right side and, since she was tending to her injured hind leg, used the barb blade of her tail to deflect it from her position towards the bushes.

Two more came from the front as the black dragoness, upon notice, once again with swift accuracy applied her barbed tail to the approaching projectiles, diverting them away in another direction of fire.

Then, another two came from the right side as Cynder yet again used her barbed tail to deflect them away from her.

Then, another clicking sound issued, but due to the distraction from the previous attacks including the rising pain in her injured leg, Cynder was unable to acknowledge it in time before a strong grunt of pain issued from her.

Breathing and gasping painfully, she looked down to find, to her horrific shock that another javelin spear, which was a silver color, was embedded into her ruby red belly where her precious hatchling was developing inside.

Then, she felt it. She could feel, not only the blood spewing from the injury, but also the life force of her developing hatchling fading upon the blunt of the attack, which caused her into a panic reaction.

"Oh, no." She managed to speak while her life fluid gushed its way from her bodily form. "No, my baby."

With her shivering paws, she grasped the spear in hopes to get it out before her hatchling becomes a blood-soaked distant memory. She can't lose her very first hatchling. Not now. Not on this blissful night.

Then, another ominous clicking sound has issued her frightful attention.

* * *

Panting heavily, Spyro leaped over a long wooden log as he resumed his pursuit towards his beloved's position. Fear and anxiety masked his feature as he raced.

'_Oh, please, be okay, Cynder. Please!_' His thoughts pleaded.

Suddenly, upon notice too late from the purple dragon, an armored ape charged against his bodily form from the right side, which resulted in Spyro, who was caught off-guard at the time, being thrown in mid-air and grunting in pain upon harsh collision with a nearby tree.

Unfortunately, the back of his head suffered more from the blunt of the impact than his body, which as a result, rendered him unconscious face-first to the ground soil while the necklace shaped boutique of pink roses was still in his left grasp.

* * *

The black dragoness known as Cynder was positioned on her back as her breathing and gasping were labored while her wings were widespread. Then, she felt blood rising from her throat, which resulted in her coughing the life substance from her maw like a rupturing volcano.

She tried to move herself as a means of escaping, but due to the excruciating pain, it became difficult.

Momentarily, she grunted from the rising pain as tears formed in her eyes. But she wasn't shedding tears from blood loss, nor was she shedding tears for herself. It was for her unborn hatchling that was recently developing in her ruby red belly.

She tried to save her unborn child, yet she was prevented from that chance by the spear embedded into her chest mere seconds ago. Now she was left with a feeling of emptiness in her being. Her unborn child was gone from this world before it was given a chance to even see it.

She tried to remove the spear from her chest, but due to that attempt, the pain increased to the point of her issuing a scream of sheer pain before she halted while breathing heavily, yet painfully.

It was then that she knew the shocking reason why. She could feel it. Her heart fading slowly down to a faint pulse, which means the spear was embedded into her vital area. And upon that came an even more startling truth: She was going to die…slowly. If any attempt were to remove the spear, it would be her end. There was nothing to be done.

"Spyro…" She managed to call out to her lover with a pained soft tone from her maw while trying her best to remain conscious with her eyes open.

Then, a large growling silhouette has caught her attention.

Approaching ominously from the bushes, the silhouette made its way towards the injured black dragoness' position while Cynder kept her intimidation in control simultaneously breathing painfully.

As soon as the silhouette has made its way to her, it reached down and grasped the bloodstained spear from the ground that the black dragoness discarded earlier. Then, it grasped the bloodstained silver spear that was embedded in Cynder's ruby red belly.

Swiftly, the spear was removed from the injury while a grunt of pain issued from the black dragoness upon removal.

But despite the pain, she kept herself conscious before glaring at the mysterious silhouette held responsible for the death of her unborn child.

"Wh... Who are you?" She asked while shivering from the immense pain.

Then, as an answer to her question, she saw its face, which issued a horrified look from the black dragoness.

"No." She softly whimpered. "It can't be."

* * *

Spyro issued a slight gasp from his maw while his eyes fluttered open as he awoke before groaning from the pain in his head.

Lifting his head, his first line of sight instantly came to the necklace shaped boutique of roses in his grasp.

Then, his thoughts dwelled to Cynder, his beloved, which slowly issued his expression to strong anxiety.

"Cynder." He softly spoke.

Wasting little time, he quickly got to his feet and made haste across the path to the clearing.

Leaping over another log in his path, Spyro resumed his sprint towards the clearing area where his beloved is positioned.

Mentally, he thought about flying over towards her position for a quicker pace, but judging by the night wind current, it was likely to slow him down at this point, which left him no choice but to advance on foot.

He kept his pace until he skidded to a halt with an expression of horror in his eyes and a gasping breath escaping his maw upon the sight that he was seeing. It was a sight that ran his blood cold. A sight that got him to subconsciously relinquish his hold on the necklace shape set of rose, while the soft sets of roses dramatically collided with the earth soil. A sight that brought overflowing tears to his eyes.

As his maw hung ajar in horror, he saw the bloody cadaver of his mortally wounded beloved, who was clinging to what's left of life, on the ground positioned on her back with her wings widespread.

Then, he noticed the injury on her left hind legs. But his horrifying expression increased upon sight of the other two injuries: The one from her ruby red belly that hold the developing hatchling, and the one pulsating from her chest with the killing projectile intact.

"Oh, no." He spoke, his voice shivering in fright.

Instantly, he rushed towards her position. As soon as he got there, he kneeled and cradled the back of her head with one right arm and his left paw caressing her left cheek while the rest of her midsection was supported by his knees.

Her blood constantly staining his paws and his knees but paid it no heed. His beloved was all that mattered.

He looked to her with fear and anxiety in his eyes as well as tears while Cynder's sapphire eyes grew fixated on her purple lover.

Breathing heavily, Spyro took notice.

"Cynder?"

"Sp-Spyro." Her soft voice cracked, yet labored while the tears overflowed her eyes. "I…I-I can't feel it anymore. I can't f-feel our baby anymore."

Spyro knew whom she was referring to, which reduced him to guilty tears upon that devastating fact. They have lost their unborn child. A child that he was going to bring into this world to raise as his very own with his beloved by his side.

"Oh, Cynder, I'm so sorry. I should never have left you. I…I should never have—"

"Sp-Spyro, stop. It is not your fault, lover." She spoke, then, with a grunt of pain, slowly braced her left shivering paw to the purple dragon's right cheek. "It is—It is never your fault."

Spyro grew comfort by the touch, yet it didn't diminish the panic and fear in his eyes.

Then, to Spyro's startle, blood ruptured from her mouth, which instantly started staining the pendant of the necklace over her neck, as she issued another violent cough from the rising pain while her attention was diverted to the night skies and her paw was relinquished from the purple dragon's cheek down to his knee.

Spyro looked and noticed the cause of her pain and suffering: _A medium sized silver spear impaled into her chest._

Breathing heavily and swallowing saliva, Spyro looked to his beloved, desperation etched on his feature. He thought about asking who was responsible, but decided against it. Helping Cynder was all that mattered now.

"Don't worry, Cynder, I'm going to save you. You hear me? I-I'm-I'm gonna save you."

He was going to remove the spear from the chest when Cynder, with little strength she had left, halted him from that attempt to the purple dragon's horrifying notice.

With her gaze intact to the skies, Cynder slightly shook her head.

"Don't." Her soft voice spoke.

"Cynder, please, I want to save you. Why are you stopping me? Wh-why won't you let me save you?"

"Because…" She started before issuing yet another grunt of pain from the injuries. "B-Because it's not going to matter either way. T-The spear is lodged into my slow beating heart. Removing it will kill me instantly."

Devastation and horror masked the purple dragon's feature. She was right. The heart is vital to the body. Once it was compromised, the body becomes a motionless corpse.

He could feel her body shivering from under him from the intense coldness surrounding her while the blood constantly gushed from her injuries. Then, to Spyro's horrifying notice, he could see that her sapphire eyes were losing its life energy.

"Cynder? Cynder…please don't go…please." He pleaded, and then resumed with a hint of desperation in his tone. "Y-You stay with me, you understand me? Stay with me!"

The black dragoness could almost feel her life force slipping away as the excruciating pain grew constant, which reduced her to flowing tears. But despite the pain, she managed to slowly cast her teary eyes to the one she loves: The purple dragon of prophecy. The one who has freed her from the clutches of the dark master known as Malefor, the one who has gave her such love and affection, and the one who has given her a child to bare.

With a soft, yet weakened smile issued on her face, Cynder spoke while Spyro was reduced to tears upon her state.

"Spyro…" Her voice shivered as she once again slowly placed her shaking left paw to his right cheek before caressing it softly.

Spyro grew comforted by the touch, yet he remained panicked with fear.

"S-Say the words t-to me." Her voice softened, yet pained. "F-from my pendant."

Regardless of his state, Spyro decided to grant her request as he swallowed saliva down his throat and spoke the words that was issued to her from the pendant, his tone shivering in the process.

" '_T-To my one true love. Y-You are my heart to beat; y..._" He halted as sobbing tears overwhelmed him upon the sight of her before he sniffed up his tears and resumed. "_Y-You are my soul to keep. Y-You are my bright sun; You are-You are my everlasting moon. You are my love.'"_

Closing his eyes tightly, the tears flowed before opening his eyes to his beloved's beautiful voice.

"_'T-To my one true love. You are…" _A grunt of pain issued from her before she resumed, her voice shivering upon the constant pain_. "…you are my salvation from the pit of darkness; y-you are my angel of light from the h-heavens. You are my love.'"_

Spyro's face cringed with grieving tears upon the gruesome sight of her, yet issued a slight smile upon her words spoken to him from his pendant as she resumed to speak.

"Spyro…Y-You are the best thing t-that ever happened to me. And I…And I w-will never forget you."

Her breathing labored as Spyro noticed; his strong expression of anxiety returning.

"Cynder…" He started before she resumed with her eyes nearly narrowed to a close.

"I love you." Her soft voice spoke.

"No, please." He pleaded, but his words were heedless.

Then, as time virtually slows dramatically, her left paw fell from his face and her eyes issued a permanent close.

Spyro's eyes widened in horror upon the sight of his mate's motionless body.

"No. Cynder?" He called to her softly.

No response.

"Cynder?!" He tried once again while desperately shaking to wake up to no avail.

Then, he was hit with a devastating truth: Cynder was dead. His black beauty was gone. The mother of his child has faded away along with his unborn hatchling.

And upon that devastating truth, he slowly lowered his head and shut his eyes tightly to freely relinquish his flowing tears.

His breath shivered as he exhaled. Then, he inhaled while grinding his teeth to keep himself from screaming.

But it was a vain attempt.

"CYNDER!!!!!!!!!!!" His voice bellowed in anguish to the heavens, which as a result, caused birds in the night to take flight from the nearby trees.

* * *

On the edge of the cliff, the silhouette took sight of this tragic display with a growl of content issuing from its maw. Its work here was done…for the time being.

As the amulet glowed in dark coloration, the silhouette departed in a cloud of black mist, leaving the scenery of the moon's night.

* * *

_**Phew! It took me a while to get this edited, re-edited, and prepared, but it was worth it. And yes, regardless of the rating content provided for the story, I've decided to push the envelope a little. And so thus lies the tragedy of our beloved black dragoness, Cynder. But don't think that this is over by a long shot, because the next chapter will answer a simple question a little overdue. Keep on the lookout. Ciao!**_

Next Chap: _In the aftermath of a horrific tragedy, the elder guardians mount a wide search of the ones held responsible only to come to a stunning conclusion_.

* * *

* * *


	6. Aftermath

Chapter Six: **Aftermath/An Act of Fate?**

* * *

_Italic_ Texts – Indicates Dream Sequence.

* * *

'_I don't believe in Heaven, I believe in Pain, I believe in fear, I believe in Death_.' _**Max Payne, Max Payne: The Movie.**_

* * *

  
Ember and Flame took a sharp head turn upon the echoes of the agonizing scream from the outside world. They knew that scream, which reduced the two dragons to anxiety.

"That sounded like—"

Flame didn't get much of a chance to finish before noticing Ember fleetingly making her exit from the room towards the outside area.

"Ember!!" He called while in pursuit of her, but not before informing the others and the guardians of the development.

* * *

Minutes later, Ember arrived at the clearing area to be, to her gasping horrors, introduced to a gruesome display.

There, shrouded underneath the moon's light was a purple dragon cradling, to the pink dragoness' horrifying shock, a severely bloodied black dragoness in his arms. It was Cynder, her best friend.

Slowly shaking her head in horrified disbelief, Ember slowly approached towards the purple dragon's position while a wall of tears formed in her eyes upon the sight of the wounds, especially the one presented at her ruby red belly that withheld their unborn child.

"Oh, no." Her voice whimpered. "Spyro, is she…?"

But she held her tongue. She couldn't say it. She refused to believe it. But her eyes betrayed her and told her otherwise. Cynder was dead in the purple dragon's arms. And what was worse is that they lost their unborn child. It was a devastating truth that brought overflowing tears to her eyes as she slowly braced both her shivering paws to her mouth in horror.

"Oh, God."

Spyro, however, didn't seem to acknowledge her earlier presence as his head hung down onto the deceased cadaver that was his beloved.

Then, suddenly, he slowly lifted his head, yet the expression on his face has altered. His eyes were cold and lifeless while his lips that once held a joyous smile to his face has now been diverted to a venomous sneer; something a vicious animal would have presented itself with.

Unfortunately, Ember grew unaware of this as she noticed his movement with a hint of concern.

"Spyro?" She softly called to him.

Silence was the purple dragon's response for a few seconds and as Ember started to make a single, slow step towards him, her position was halted upon the most haunting words ever said to her.

"Go away."

His voice was deep and venomous. It was something that struck an amount of fear into the pink dragoness' very essence.

But regardless, she decided to take another step in order to reach out towards her purple friend. However, she didn't manage to get far.

As soon as she got within an inch of him, she halted upon, not only noticing his left paw clenching tightly to a bared fist, but also sensing a dark presence from within his very essence.

Strong anxiety mixed with Ember's fearful expression upon this scenery, yet she didn't get much of a chance to speak on the matter due to the words of the mentally imbalanced, and yet enraged, purple dragon.

"I…said…" He started in the same exact tone before sharply issuing his harsh glare towards the pink dragoness behind him. "GO AWAY!!!!!!!!!"

As soon as the bellowing words of rage left his mouth, a projectile of dark fire followed afterwards.

Ember's eyes widened in fear; yet didn't have much time to react before the projectile came in contact with her in full force.

As a result, she was thrown into the air and collided with the ground soil with harsh impact just enough to snap a membrane in her left wing, which resulted in her issuing a scream of pain.

Gritting her teeth tightly in endurance to the rising pain with her eyes shut, she managed to momentarily open her eyes to bare witness to a horrifying sight that was slowly and ominously approaching her direction from the black dragoness' deceased corpse.

Positioned on all four, the proud purple dragon of prophecy was shrouded in darkness throughout his body. His scales coated from elegant purple to darkened black and his teeth bore to vicious saliva-filled fangs.

Then, she saw his eyes…a glowing shade of demonic yellow that struck a huge amount of fear and horror into her very being.

This wasn't him. This wasn't the purple friend that she grown to know and cared about. This was something else…something that manifested itself with his agonizing grief and converted it into a strong, yet sheer force of consumable rage.

This was his darkness breaking free from its dormant prison. This was the form of Dark Spyro.

"Spyro…?" She called out to him in spite of her expression.

Yet, the dark-colored dragon provided no response in kind. Instead, he resumed his slow, ominous advances towards her while the pink dragoness, in her previous position, started retreating backwards out of fear.

Then, the dark dragon halted while the darkness constantly shrouds around his bodily form. As he narrowed his eyes further to a glare, he slowly hunched down in preparation for a vicious pouncing attack on his victim while a snarl escaped his maw.

Ember took note of it and tried desperately to stand and steer her form to safety from the attack. But the pain in her left wing prevented her from that attempt, which as a result, issued a grunt of pain from her maw.

Regardless, she managed to look on in terror upon the sight of her would-be executioner and shut her eyes tightly in wait for the devastating attack.

With a snarling roar, Dark Spyro, in an instant, lunged himself towards his victim, but was instantly intercepted, in mid-air, to the ground by the force of an orange blur.

Ember opened her eyes upon the grunting sounds emanating a few distance from her and the deceased black dragoness as she saw the sight of Dark Spyro and an orange dragon, to which she instantly recognized with a hint of anxiety, tumbling on the ground against each other.

"Flame." She spoke and started to stand, but the pain in her left wing once again prevented her from that attempt.

Meanwhile, Flame, with much difficulty due to the recent attempted bite attacks from the opposing party, managed to pin the form of Dark Spyro to the ground underneath him with his forepaws clenched tightly against his arms to keep him at bay.

A struggle issued between the two dragons as Dark Spyro was growling viciously towards the orange dragon while Flame was trying to no avail to reach out to his friend.

"Spyro, listen to me. Listen!" He spoke to get his attention, yet the struggled resumed. "This isn't you. You have to stop this, you hear me, goddamnit?! You have to—"

Suddenly, Dark Spyro roared with an intense vicious fury before dark fire escaped his maw in the process and met with Flame's face. The result caused the orange dragon to strongly recoil, relinquish his hold on the dark dragon and covering his face while screaming in pain from the direct attack.

While he was distracted, Dark Spyro reversed the maneuver on the orange dragon and wasted little time before, with a snarl, sinking his vicious fangs into the flesh of his best friend's right shoulder, which resulted in a bloodcurdling scream from Flame.

The metallic taste of the orange dragon's blood was intoxicating to the dark dragon as Flame gritted his teeth to endure this pain and attempted to fight his way out of this predicament, yet nearly found it difficult at this time.

Then, suddenly, Dark Spyro issued a bloodcurdling, yet demonic roar of pain as a strong wave of electricity was discharged onto his bodily form, which resulted in him relinquishing his hold on Flame, who, while breathing heavily, bore witness to this with pain in his eyes.

As the attack seized, Dark Spyro collapsed to the ground on his left side while the darkness shrouded around his body has relinquished itself from his form.

Dark Spyro was gone and a familiar coloration of purple was in its place.

The unconscious form of Spyro was seen lying on the ground, electricity sizzling around his form and convulsing his body in the process, as Flame, despite the deep bloody bite mark on his injured right shoulder, noticed with a strong hint of anxiety before issuing his gaze towards the source of the attack.

Positioned on all four just a few feet from his position was the thunder guardian, Volteer, who looked down to the purple dragon with such sadness in his eyes before directing his attention to Flame.

"Are you alright, young one?"

Flame wanted to speak, but found that he was lacking the capacity to do so. Instead, he issued his gaze to where Ember was positioned to find the other three guardians present at the clearing.

Ignitus was slowly carrying, to Flame's horrifying notice, the deceased form of Cynder in his embrace with an expression of sheer sadness in his eyes while the other two guardians tended to Ember.

Then, he diverted his gaze to the unconscious purple dragon before him with such anticipation. Then, tears formed in his eyes. He knew why this happened. His best friend just lost his beloved along with his unborn child.

It became a devastating truth indeed, yet it didn't begin to help Spyro's case in any way, shape, or form.

As Volteer helped Flame to his feet, with difficulty due to his injury, he went and carried the unconscious form of Spyro in his embrace.

Afterwards, they made their transverse back to the temple in relative, yet dead silence in the aftermath of a gruesome tragedy.

* * *

(**Three Hours Later**)

Three hours has came to pass, yet during those hours of night, Ignitus and the other guardians wasted little time in preparing a memorial for the deceased.

Many residents and friends in the village grew deeply saddened and devastated by the sudden loss, yet none has grown more grief-stricken by this tragedy than that of the closest friends of the black dragoness, mostly Bianca and Ember, who were in devastating grief upon this loss.

Momentarily, both females found their solace in the arms of Hunter and Flame, but it was doubtful that it would ease them, especially Ember, of the pain that this horrible tragedy has caused.

However, there was one individual that was the closest to the black dragoness, one who has been side-by-side with her in battles through the very end, and one who has shared a passionate love with her throughout the years. That individual was a purple dragon that was lying, in his unconscious state, back first on a bed inside one of the quarters in the temple under the recent watch of both Hunter and Flame.

Sparx, who was on watch alongside them, grew devastated upon this loss as well and wanted nothing more than to console his adoptive brother in his time of need whenever he wakes up. Yet, he grew increasingly concerned for his brother's well being for the obvious reason.

Recently, they, minus Flame and Ember, who were healed from their earlier wounds throughout the three- hour period, were informed by the elders on the incident regarding the purple dragon and grew startled by what has happened.

Regardless, they were grateful that the issue was settled, yet most seem to wonder at some point: _What mental damage has this tragic night done to their purple friend_?

Silence was the only response protruding in their minds to the question, yet they didn't pursue the matter any further. They could only hope that their purple dragon of prophecy would soon wake up to the loving console of his friends.

* * *

(**Two Hours & Fifty Minutes Later**)

Two hours came to pass, and fifty minutes later, the long memorial has came to an end. Everyone, including close friends, issued their farewells to the deceased. Some, mainly Ember, provided those farewells with strong difficulties due to emotional response. Few provided solace towards them, but despite it all, it did nothing to deter the grief that was mounted onto them.

Regardless, everyone decided to make their leave from the temple, but most has stayed behind in the confinement of their own quarters.

At the moment, the only individual that was present inside the temple courtyard was the fire guardian, Ignitus, who was looking down solemnly with a hint of sadness towards a golden plaque that engraved the name of the fallen while both his paws braced both sides of the front of the monument statue, which was carved in the black dragoness' likeness throughout the five-hour period.

"Cynder." He spoke softly as he slowly looked up towards the monumental statue.

Upon sight of the statue, Ignitus could feel the tears attempting to force its way from the prison of his eyes, yet he managed to refrain himself from doing so.

Instead, he shut his eyes and cringed his face with a renewed sense of inner rage and thoughts protruding in his mind.

_Who would do such a thing to someone so innocent? Who would do such a thing so vile and heinous to someone who was raped of her innocence in the past by the essence of darkness? Who would do this to someone who was like a daughter to him? And who would go as far as to murder her unborn offspring in the process_?

These were valid questions, yet silence was his only answer. Then more questions protruded in his mind.

How can they not have seen this coming from the vision pool? It could've been prevented, yet it happened nonetheless. Was it an act of fate mounted onto them?

Slightly, he shook his head upon that last thought. No. He refused to believe that fate had anything to do with what has happened out there. Someone was held responsible for that attack outside. And he was more than willing to find out.

"Ignitus?" A worried voice spoke.

It was Terrador, yet the fire guardian provided no response at the time as the earth guardian advanced a few feet forward from behind him.

However, before he could speak any further, Ignitus, his eyes opened and his expression stern with anger, spoke first.

"Assemble the rest of the guardians, Terrador." He ordered, yet the earth guardian grew confused by this.

"For what purpose?" He asked.

"We're going to scattered that entire field." He spoke before turning around to face the earth guardian, granting Terrador the privilege to see, to his startle, the stern, angered expression masked on his face. "Someone out there has warranted this attack on our land and took one of our own. And we are going to find them."

To the earth guardian, that almost sounded like the words of vengeance from his long time brother and before he could gather the words to speak, Ignitus took note of this and eased his expression a bit while speaking on the matter.

"I know what you must think, brother. And you are right. Vengeance isn't the answer, but justice is. Rationally, I would think that this was an act of fate, but I will not take that into consideration until I know for certain of what has happened out there. Spyro, subconsciously, submitted to his dark form upon this tragedy and, clearly, he wasn't in his right state of mind at that moment. I would hate to think what would become of him if I were to return here and inform him that _this_ was an act of fate."

In silence, Terrador took this into thought. Ignitus was right. Most likely, Spyro would awake to the news of his beloved's death and would want nothing more than to find the individual held responsible for the deed. If he were to discover that this was an act of fate, it would devastate him to no end.

Upon that careful thought, the earth guardian nodded before departing from the courtyard to inform Cyril and Volteer of the ordeal while Ignitus turned back around toward the statue, his expression slowly turned solemn upon sight.

"You needn't worry, Cynder. Your demise will not go in vain." He spoke softly before making his leave from the courtyard.

* * *

(**Ten Minutes Later**)

Streaks of tears formed from the pink dragoness' eyes as Ember was sobbing silently, yet uncontrollably while under the comforting solace of the orange dragon, Flame.

Recently, they, including the others under watch for the purple dragon, were informed on the ordeal that involves the elders seeking the individual held responsible for the attack.

Mentally, Flame would want nothing more than to go out there himself and search that entire area for the culprit, yet chose not to due, not only for Ember's sake, but for the unconscious purple dragon lying on the bed nearest their position.

There was no telling when their purple friend was to wake up and it was in their best interest to watch over him in case he does wake from his slumber. Momentarily, Flame managed to dismiss Hunter, Bianca, and Sparx, in spite of their protest, from the room since he and Ember will be watching the purple dragon. And also informed them that they were to be notified should Spyro awake at any time.

Reluctantly, they made their leave while Flame and Ember were alone with their unconscious purple friend.

But at the moment, he was in the middle of comforting Ember, who eased her sobs and sniffed her tears before managing her speech into words.

"Wh-Who would do this, Flame?" Her voice cracked and broke as her tear-stained eyes met with the orange dragon's eyes. "Who would take her away from us with this kind of savagery?"

Flame shook his head.

"I don't know, Ember." He spoke, softly.

Yet, by the time those words left his maw, Ember resumed with her words.

"S-She didn't anything wrong. That was-That was all in the past. She was taken from the hatchery and was forced into Malefor's evil." She spoke, then her words strained in a fit of devastation. "W-Who the fuck would do such a thing?!"

"Ember!" Flame spoke, his voice hardened and stern. "Calm down."

Instantly, Ember's expression, to Flame's notice, cringed with sadness and anger.

"Flame, how can I calm down? Huh? How can I calm down when my best friend is dead? Huh?! How can—"

Abruptly, Flame issued his soft embrace to the devastated pink dragoness while she resumed her grievous sobbing onto his chest.

"It's going to be okay." He spoke softly, yet the pink dragoness provided no response due to her sobs. "The guardians are going to find the bastard responsible for this. Let's pray that they face judgment for what they've done here."

Ember heard him, yet she resumed her sobs. Then, to Flame's notice, a shuddering gasp issued from her upon thoughts of the purple dragon as she lifted her head from the orange dragon's chest with her anxious eyes meeting with his eyes.

"What about Spyro? Cynder died in his arms resulting in him suffering the most from that. If the guardians can't find the ones responsible—"

"Ember…" Flame cut in. "They will find the culprit. They have to. Otherwise…"

But he halted from there. He couldn't bring those words out in front of her, especially when she is the closest friend that the black dragoness ever had.

Ember took note of his hesitation in speech; yet didn't pursue the matter any further. Instead, she rested her head back onto the chest of the orange dragon as Flame held his embrace of solace to her.

* * *

"_Spyro_…"

_That voice. It was so familiar, so haunting. _

"_Spyro_…"

_A sudden gasp escaped the purple dragon's maw while his eyes opened wide. Surveying his surroundings, he found himself lying on his back, wings widespread, before slowly sitting up._

_Afterwards, he started looking around to find himself in complete darkness. There were no windows, doors, no ceiling, no walls, or environments of that sort, only pitch-black darkness. Yet, despite his surroundings, Spyro managed to see throughout this dark empty space._

_"Where am I?" He asked himself, his voice echoed in the darkness before a sudden thought occurred to him. "Could I be dreaming?"_

_He didn't know at this point, yet he was going to remedy that problem by calling out to his friends. However, before that could happen, a familiar, yet haunting voice has spoken, which caught his puzzled attention._

"_Spyro_…"

_That voice. He recognized it. It was the sound that he heard years ago in the realm of convexity, a dark prison void where…No. It couldn't be possible. He was defeated, gone. He can't harm anyone ever again, especially not…_

"_Cynder_…"

_The voice spoke again, which placed the purple dragon in alarm as he stood up on his hind legs and frantically surveyed his surroundings._

_Then, to his notice, the environment started to shift and change to a familiar background. And before he knew what was happening, he found himself staring into the dark eyes of someone that the purple dragon, to his stunned startle, instantly recognized._

_"Cynder?"_

_Indeed it was the black dragoness, but it was then that he noticed her in adult form to the time where she was under her master's will of evil. Her bodily feature was just as he remembered her in the past. Now here she was positioned on all four and harshly glaring down into the one dragon that she was charged to kill._

_Then, Spyro issued glances to the environment upon remembering where he was at this point._

"Convexity." He softly spoke.

_"I'm surprised you remember…" The adult form of Cynder spoke, which issued the purple dragon's attention. "…Lover."_

_The words that she spoke were tainted with seductive malice, yet, to his puzzling startle, the last word that she spoke, which also his beloved would say, was in a dark manner laced with pure disdain towards him, which came into question: Why?_

_He wanted to answer that question himself, yet the black dragoness before him spoke first._

_"Do you also remember how you have freed me from my master's grip only to see to my demise in the future?"_

_As soon as those words left the dragoness' lips, Spyro instantly remembered. He remembered the tragedy that has befallen his beloved. And upon that memory, his thoughts dwelled to the words that the adult dragoness has spoken, which reduced him to hurtful flowing tears upon the accusation as he shook his head in denial._

_"No. No, that's not true. I loved you with all my very being." He spoke, his voice broken. "I would never plan to do you any harm at all. I would-I would never harm the one innocent creature that I ever cared about."_

_His sobs were forcing his way from his maw, yet he refrained from doing so as Cynder, with her murderous glare intact, took note of this, yet grew unfazed by it. In silence, she started ominously circling the purple dragon while keeping her distance along the way._

_"If that were true, then why did you leave?"_

_"I-I wanted to provide you a gift. I was coming right back, I swear to God, I was coming back." He spoke in a desperate attempt to reason with the adult dragoness while keeping his eyes on her._

_"Hmm, I'll bet that gift was to die for to be gone to a far distance."_

_"Please, listen to me. I would never put any harm to you. You have to believe me."_

_Then, to Spyro's shocking notice, the black dragoness halted her stop as she issued a low crouch in preparation for a pouncing attack on her alleged executioner._

_"But you did. And as for believing you, I once did, but not anymore."_

_Instantly, while still in her crouching position, she applied her tail-blade swipe to Spyro, who narrowly evaded backward from the attack, pushing his distance a bit further away._

_A deep desperation filled the purple dragon's veins upon this action._

_"Cynder, don't do this, please. I don't—"_

_"And now I will put harm to you. Farewell, lover."_

_Then, with a vicious snarl escaping her maw, she quickly lunged in his direction._

_"NO, CYNDER, DON'T!!" He shouted before shutting his eyes and, with his paws and wings, shielded himself while bracing for the oncoming attack._

_But by the time the adult dragoness reached his position, she dispersed in a cloud of black mist before the environment, to his unawareness, switched back to its original pitch-black position._

_Then, a sinister, echoed laughter has caught the purple dragon's attention as well as the change in environment. He recognized that laughter, which triggered a strain of anger in his being upon the knowledge that he was possibly responsible for that illusionary image._

_"I know it's you, you fucking bastard. Show yourself. You hear me? SHOW YOURSELF!!"_

_As by command, Spyro was greeted with two yellow eyes similar to the ones he recognized on the doorway of the floating islands. The evil eyes of Malefor stared down towards the purple being in front of him._

_Spyro, in turn, greeted the eyes of evil with such defiance and anger present on his facial feature._

_"Ah, Spyro…such a pleasure to meet with you again." He spoke, malice present in his voice. "Tell me, how is my former general?"_

_"Don't you dare call her that, you demon…she's your pawn no longer."_

_"Yes, in life, she wasn't. In death, however…"_

_Upon those words, Spyro bared his fangs in inward rage._

_"If-If you lay a fucking talon on her, I'll—"_

_The eyes narrowed towards the purple dragon's upon his words, yet felt the inner rage from those very words._

_"You'll do what? What more can you do to me, young one, when I am already dead? And more importantly, what more can you do for her knowing that she perished in your arms along with the knowledge that you were held responsible for her demise."_

_The comment itself struck a strong nerve to the purple dragon's vein as he, to Malefor's delightful anticipation, bellowed with growling rage._

_"THAT'S A FUCKING LIE AND YOU KNOW IT!!!! I LOVED HER MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD!!!"_

_"Even more than your own life?"_

_The question almost caught the purple dragon off guard at the moment, yet before he could speak, Malefor spoke first._

_"No need to answer, young one. You will figure it out in time. Although, if you were to die, what makes you think that you would be reunited with her again considering what you have done?"_

_Spyro, not having to want to look into this monster's eyes any further, diverted his head downward before shaking his head upon the comment. They were lies. And he refused to believe them._

_"No, I told you, I—"_

_"Not just with Cynder's demise, but submitting to the darkness as well."_

_Almost instantly, Spyro gasped from his maw upon this revelation. He submitted to his dark side? But how? He didn't know. Regardless, he shook his head in denial._

_"That impossible, because if it did happen, then it was your doing."_

_A slight evil chuckle emanated from Malefor before he spoke._

_"Was it or was it the emotional response of your grievance?" He questioned before the evil yellow eyes vanished, leaving the purple dragon once again in secluded darkness._

_Spyro grew in silence in thought of the questions. That was a good point. In truth, he didn't know what went on outside aside from the tragedy that he witnessed. But if what Malefor said was true, then something must have happened along the way. Did he hurt his friends in a blind reaction to this?_

_He didn't know. He needed answers, yet before he could speak, voices protruded from all around him…voices of agony, pain and suffering that surrounded him to the point where it became overwhelming._

_Panting heavily, the purple dragon clenched his eyes shut along with his cringing facial feature in his attempt to block the overwhelming voices from his mind, yet it proved difficult to the point where Spyro was slowly positioned on his knees._

_"Stop. Please." He pleaded, yet it grew unheeded_

_"You've failed, young one." Malefor spoke in a whisper from all around. "Your beloved is gone and now you are alone. The darkness is calling to you. Do not fight it. We are the same. Embrace the darkness, young one."_

_Shaking his head, Spyro instantly braced his paws to each sides of his head in his attempt to block the words from his mind. He wanted out of this nightmare. He wanted to wake up._

_"No, we are nothing alike. You hear me? Nothing!! You get outta my head."_

_Yet, the voices constantly persist in his mind to no end as the purple dragon grinded his fangs._

_"Get out of me. Get out of me." He repeated constantly, yet the voices persisted before he arched his head upward and bellowed out to the darkness in complete rage. "GET OUT OF MEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!"_

_As the bellowing words left his maw, the environment changed to an endless wall of roaring hellfire and brimstone in response to his intense rage._

_Then, Spyro halted his scream, simultaneously, the walls of hellfire immediately vanished and the purple dragon collapsed stomach-first onto the floor of endless darkness before a sinister laughter of the dark master echoed in the void of the darkness._

_Now all was silence around the motionless purple dragon, yet his sense of hearing managed to catch earshot of a gentle, yet feminine whispering voice emanating from up far._

"_Spyro_…"

* * *

"Cynder…"

Flame stirred to his awakened state while a sleeping pink dragoness was in his embrace. With his half opened eyes, he surveyed his surroundings. He found nothing out of the ordinary, yet was left in wonder. He thought he heard something of a whisper emanating from the room.

Slightly shrugging the thought off as a figment of his imagination, Flame attempted to fall back to his slumber before the sound of the whispering voice returned, which abruptly woke him from near sleep.

"Cynder…No."

With his eyes slowly widened in shock, Flame looked over to find that the lips of their purple friend was moving.

"Please…don't leave." His whispering voice spoke again.

"Oh, my God." He spoke before desperately shaking Ember from her slumber of sleep.

In startle, Ember awoke with her anxious, yet tear-dried eyes to the orange dragon's wide eyes.

"Flame, what is it?"

"He's awake. Spyro's awake."

Ember's eyes widened upon those words as she looked to find, to her shock, that her purple friend's lips were moving to the signification of his near awakening.

But before any words could register from her maw, Flame spoke first, which caught her attention.

"Ember, go get the others, quickly."

Briefly hesitant, Ember nodded as she stood up and left the room to inform the others.

Meanwhile, Flame stood up and approached towards the semi-conscious form of the purple dragon. As soon as he got there, he kneeled down to his friend's level before momentarily taking note of his friends, namely Hunter, Ember, Bianca, and Sparx, presence at the doorway, each grew relieved, yet anxious for the purple dragon's well being.

Then, the whispers of the purple dragon issued the orange dragon's attention.

In silence with anxious eyes to his friend, Flame slowly reached out with a touch of his right paw to the purple dragon's chest in his attempt to gently shake his friend to his awaken state.

However, as soon as the soft touch was applied, Flame immediately flinched in startle upon the sudden grasp of his wrist followed by, to the orange dragon's notice, a gasp escaping from the maw of the purple dragon.

Spyro was awake. With his eyes wide open with an amount of fear, his breathing was normal, yet was close to erratic.

Flame took note of this while the others watched.

Ember almost felt compelled to rush inside the room and applied a joyous hug to the purple dragon, but kept her distance for the time being.

"Spyro?" Flame spoke.

Spyro eased his breathing and his expression for a while before acknowledging the orange dragon looking down upon him.

However, no words registered from the purple dragon at the moment for he was surveying his surroundings to find that he was in his quarters positioned on a bed. Then, aside from Flame, he noticed his friends at the doorway. Yet, his mind was placed in wonder that someone was missing from the room.

Flame once again took note of this.

"Spyro…"

"Where's Cynder?"

Flame was forced into silence upon, not only the abrupt question, but also the expression that the purple dragon was directing towards him…an expression that was a mixture of wonders and worry.

And due to that, Flame diverted his gaze downward from the purple dragon's viewpoint in thought of this. _Should he tell him what has became of his beloved? Should he look him in the eye and tell him what has happened_?

"Flame." Spyro called, yet Flame kept his gaze downward from his view with his silence intact.

Then, Spyro saw the orange dragon's eyes closed with a hint of sadness on his expression.

Spyro's eyes widened in shock upon this sight, yet disbelief was in its place as he slightly shook his head before sitting up from the bed, forcibly grasping the shoulders of the orange dragon and shaking him in his attempt for answers.

"Flame, where is she?" He demanded with a hint of desperation in his tone. "Where is she?"

Flame heard the question, yet he kept to his previous position as Spyro noticed before his expression slowly cringed with irritation.

"Look at me, goddamn you." His voice shivered in a whisper followed by the sensation of tears threatening to make its departure from his purple eyes. "Where is my beloved?"

It was then that Flame lifted his head and issued his expression to the purple dragon. It was a facial expression that put Spyro in overwhelming shock and horror.

It was sadness and sorrow, which indicated to the purple dragon that something has happened. But once again, a strong sense of disbelief was in its place as Spyro shook his head.

Flame took note of this.

"Spyro, she's…"

"No." The purple dragon's voice broke as he issued his gaze to his friends in hopes that this was a cruel joke.

Unfortunately, when he looked in their direction, the same saddening expression applied to them as well.

Then, the purple dragon's breathing increased to a level of erratic as he quickly got up from the bed and darted out of the room, pushing passed the others along the way while Flame and the others took note of this and gave chase.

* * *

Flame and the others have made it to the courtyard. But by that time, it was too late upon what they are witnessing. There, kneeling before the monumental statue, was Spyro the Dragon sobbing quietly, yet uncontrollably onto his arms, his hot tears staining the monument of his beloved's form.

The sight of this scenery grew devastating for them to witness at this point as Ember and Bianca were reduced to saddened tears themselves upon this.

Eventually, Flame slowly made his way towards the purple dragon in hopes to provide him solace while the others watched.

During his approach, it took every ounce of Flame's being to hold back his tears in order to keep strong, yet it grew difficult upon this sight.

"Spyro…it's going to be—"

As soon as he slowly braced his right paw on the purple dragon's left shoulder, Spyro spoke, his voice trembled in a whimper.

"Where are the elders?"

"They're out mounting a search of the area for the culprit held responsible for the attack."

Upon that comment, Spyro slowly lifted his head up from his interlacing arms with a sneer appearing on his face. A renewed sense of anger and furious vengeance was seen in his tear-stained eyes, yet unseen by his friends.

"Flame…" His voice spoke in the same tone of voice, yet stern-ness was partly present. "I am going to retire to my quarters. Inform me the moment the elders make their return, do you understand?"

In silence thought, Flame nodded.

"Of course."

As Spyro slowly stood up, he turned around and exited the courtyard towards his quarters. However, during his departure, Flame, Hunter, Ember, Bianca, and Sparx could clearly see the look of pure vengeance in his eyes. An intoxicating need to avenge the loss of his beloved against the culprit held responsible.

The expression in his eyes stunned them to no end, yet it grew mortifying to Ember to see her purple friend resort to hateful revenge.

But they chose to remain silent for the time being and can only hope that the same incident that transpired outside will not happen inside the sanctuary.

* * *

(**Forty-Five Minutes Later**)

Flame paced back and forth on the tile floors of the courtyard as he awaits the return of the elder guardians, his patience wearing ever so thinly upon the long wait.

During this time, he failed to notice Ember watching from the entryway of the courtyard with a hint of anxiety towards him.

Recently, she noticed, not only Spyro's behavior, but also Flame's as well. Although he was good at concealing his expression from suspicious eyes, it soon became his exposure to her due to the constant wait.

'_What the hell is taking them so long_?' His thoughts questioned, yet it grew unanswered.

"Flame, it's been—" She started before Flame, upon anticipation of her presence without acknowledgment, cut her speech short.

"I know it's been forty-five minutes, Ember." He spoke sharply.

With her anxiety intact upon the tone, Ember grew silence in hopes to not stress him any further than previously intended.

As the seconds ticked away, Flame halted upon hearing footfalls as he and Ember, who has entered the courtyard upon the sound, looked to a secondary entryway to find the four elders making their entrance into the courtyard with equal expressions of strong sadness in their eyes.

However, those that were present in the courtyard grew unaware of the fact that they were being observed by a purple figure positioned behind the sidewall of the first entryway.

Meanwhile, Flame and Ember slowly approached the elders' position, but halted with equal expressions of shock and disbelief upon note of the elder guardians' expression.

Slowly, Flame shook his head in denial.

"No. Please tell me…"

The orange dragon trailed off his sentence as silence occupied Ignitus' maw while his gaze diverted downward in sorrow.

"We…search the entire area. Aside from the blood of the deceased, there was nothing else out there. No blood traces from any assailant, no traces of dark magic, nothing." Ignitus spoke.

Upon those words, Flame's expression slowly cringed in anger while Ember covered her maw with both paws simultaneously tears were threatening to relinquish from her eyes. They refused to believe this kind of truth.

"Then check again. Because there is no way—"

"We did. We checked it three times. Nothing." Terrador spoke.

From the doorway, Spyro the Dragon grew in shock upon what was said, yet he grew unprepared by what has came shortly afterwards.

"I am sorry, young ones, but…" Ignitus spoke with great hesitant in his voice. "It pains me greatly to say that…Cynder's demise…"

He halted for a while before slowly shutting his eyes in complete sadness.

"…Was an act of fate."

Both Flame and Ember were struck with stunned silence upon this news.

From the entryway, Spyro's eyes slowly widened in stunned, yet horrified shock upon the devastating truth. His beloved's demise was an act of fate.

With the expression intact, Spyro, whose breathing grew close to erratic, retreated behind the sidewall before his expression quickly cringed his anger. Quickly, he shut his eyes and shook his head in denial. He refused to believe it. He refused to believe that fate had anything to do with this. Fate was the reason for his destiny. Fate was the reason for his encounter with Cynder. Fate is the reason why they were brought together as loved ones. Why would fate do such a thing?

He didn't know. Yet, he quickly opened his purple eyes with an expression of desperate defiance. They were wrong, all of them. And he is willing enough to prove it to them.

With the expression intact, he waltzed his way towards the outside area of the temple.

Meanwhile, Ember, her expression intact, shook her head in defiance to this.

"No, you're wrong. No, fate wouldn't do this to her. Fate wouldn't take her away from us like that!!" She spoke, defiant anger apparent in her tone.

"I know it is difficult for anyone to believe, but—" Ignitus started before Flame, with a renewed sense of grievous anger in his tone, cut his speech short.

"Of course, it's difficult for us to believe. But I can only imagine what Spyro would feel if he were to find out about this, which I am compelled to do at this very moment."

Before any of the elders' spoke, Flame, along with Ember, issued their leave from the courtyard towards the room where Spyro supposedly was stationed. However, when they got there, they found, to their puzzling shock, that the purple dragon was missing.

"Where did he go?" Ember spoke out of anxiety.

In silence, Flame pondered that question as he shook his head.

"I don't know, Ember. He wouldn't have left the room, unless…"

He halted as a sudden stunning thought has occurred to him before Ember, with her expression intact, took note of this.

"Unless what?"

"Unless he already knows…I think I know where he is. Follow me."

With Ember in toll, Flame made his way towards the entrance to the outside area.

* * *

Meanwhile, Spyro, who moments ago have entered the clearing site where the incident took place, wasted little time in searching the entire area.

He started to sniff any area in his surroundings, but despite the dried blood of his beloved on the earth soil, he managed to find nothing.

Then, in an act of desperation, he started an aerial sweep of the area hoping to find a sense, any sense of blood, body odor, or dark magic that could trace him to the culprit held responsible for the attack.

Momentarily, after minutes of searching, he made his landing back onto the clearing with an expression of stunned shock framing his face while his breathing grew heavy. There was nothing here. They were all dead-ends. Along with that came an even more devastating truth that he grows hesitant to admit: His beloved was killed…by an act of fate.

Falling to his knees onto the dry bloodstained soil where his beloved once laid, Spyro's mind grew into questions. _Why would fate do this? Why would fate take away the one innocent creature in all of the realms that he cared about? Why would fate take away his unborn child in the process_?

These questions grew unanswered to the purple dragon, which reduced him to overflowing tears along with his shivery breath. His expression devastated beyond comprehension as he slowly looked up towards the darkened skies of the moon's night.

Then, a strong sense of grieving anger replaced his previous expression as he sniffed up his tears before managing his thoughts into words.

"Why her? Huh? Why take her?" He spoke, as his voice broke into a weak tone before resuming. "She's done nothing wrong. She was stolen from the hatchery and was forced into Malefor's evil. She has amended for her past and she was to live a perfect life along my side carrying our child. Yet, you have taken her from me like sheep to the slaughter."

Then, he exhaled to control his silent sobs, yet it grew difficult as he spoke, anger momentarily present in his tone.

"I want to know why. You hear me? YOU TELL ME WHY!!! HUH?!" He bellowed to the heavens, unable to contain his outburst and grief much longer as he resumed with a seethed tone. "You tell me why you decide to take her and our unborn child! Huh?"

Unbeknownst to him, the forms of Flame and Ember were baring witness to this from behind him in saddened silence.

Then, Spyro spreads his arms out wide with a welcoming gesture while his wings performed the same method in reaction to this.

"W-Why-why can't you just take me, huh? Huh, why don't you take me? Huh?! I was a victim of his evil, too. Take me, too. Com-COME ON, TAKE ME, TOO!!!"

Breathing heavily upon his outburst, Spyro tightly shut his eyes and hung his head while his arms fell to his sides with his claws gripping the soil as he sobbed silently in his shroud of grief, tears flowing from his eyes.

"Please take me, too." He spoke softly as his sobs resumed.

Ember was reduced to tears upon this sight and attempted to waltz over to her grieving friend before Flame held her back by his left paw to her chest.

To Ember's notice, stern sadness was Flame's expression as he shook his head while his attention was still to his purple friend.

"Not yet." He spoke softly.

Almost immediately, Ember has gotten the idea, upon memory of what has transpired hours ago the last time she has tried to console Spyro, and issued a slight nod in response, yet her tears remained as she diverted her gaze to the purple dragon.

After a while, Spyro ceased his grieving sobs before diverting his tear-stained gaze to his left side to find the wreath of roses positioned a few feet away from him.

With hesitation, Spyro slowly reached and grasped the wreath by his left paw and examined it. Traces of the roses were missing from its collision with the ground earlier on, yet the purple dragon paid it no heed.

This was a gift to his beloved, yet the sheer sight of the wreath has steered the purple dragon into a void of silent anger. The only reason that he left her was to get this thing as a gift for her. It was foolish of him to leave her at all to attempt such a gift considering that the necklace was enough.

Upon that rationalization, he almost felt the urge to break the wreath to pieces, but a different rationalization halted him from that attempt and propelled him into a world of guilt.

'_It's my fault. I'm the one that left her. I killed my beloved_.' His thoughts spoke.

Normally, he wouldn't resort to such thoughts, but the nightmare that he recently had told him otherwise. He should've stayed with her and prevented this from happening. He could've saved her and now she was gone from this world along with their unborn child.

Sniffing the remainder of his tears, Spyro slowly, with both paws, gently placed the wreath down to the bloodstained soil that his befallen beloved recently resided on.

Afterwards, he stayed in that position in a moment of silence before standing on his hind legs. A deep frown graced his facial expression as he kept his gaze droned to the ground soil.

Then, a paw grasp a hold of Spyro's left shoulder as Flame stood by his left side while Ember stood at his right, yet the purple dragon failed to acknowledge them at this point.

"I'm so sorry, Spyro." Flame spoke, softly, but the purple dragon issued no response.

With her tear-stained eyes, Ember took note of the expression in his eyes with a hint of concern before speaking.

"Spyro…?" Ember called to him in her soft tone.

Once again, Spyro provided no response. Instead, he issued his gaze to Ember, who, in slight startle, bore witness to the emotionless expression in his eyes.

And before any words could register from her maw, Spyro turned around, while Flame willingly relinquished his soft hold on his left shoulder, and walked away back to the temple, his tail swaying back and forth in the process.

Anxiety and concern masked Ember's expression as she looked after the departure of her purple friend while Flame took note of her reaction.

"Ember, what is it?"

In silence, Ember shook her head.

"I'm not quite sure, but…I think something is wrong with Spyro."

In silence, Flame looked after the purple dragon's departure before speaking.

"It's probably nothing. I think he just needs some time to himself for a while. He needs time to cope with this as do we."

Shaking her head slightly in silence, Ember spoke.

"Somehow, I don't think I ever will learn to cope with this, Flame."

Flame nodded in agreement.

"Me neither. But…in time, we will."

Ember took a deep breath as Flame gently ushered her along while he followed as they transverse back to the temple. Both hoping that their purple friend would recover from the state that he's in and cope with the loss.

* * *

_**Phew! What a long chap. Originally, the aftermath chapter and the following one after that was going to be separate, but I figured two chaps for the price of one long chapter is a big deal, so I hung with it. Heh, Heh. And yes, I know that the qoute at the top doesn't provide enough signification to the chapter as intended, if that is what most of you are thinking at the moment. But in the next few chaps, it might. Anyway, thus begins the angst-filled turmoil of one Spyro the Dragon. Keep a lookout for the next chap. Ciao!**_

Next chap: _**Spyro has difficulties coping with the tragic loss of his beloved**_.


	7. Declination of Solace

Chapter Seven: **Declination of Solace  
**________________________________________________________________________  
(**The Next Night**)

The second day strolled by towards the early night as Spyro was positioned on his haunches droning his emotionless stare out passed the glass-less window into the night, his eyes reduced to red cracks due to sleepless nights, while under the observation of Flame and Ember, the others, namely Hunter, Bianca, and Sparx, being absent from the temple upon the situation, yet will be informed of progress upon visitation momentarily.

Throughout the whole day, the purple dragon has not once left his position, much less the room or spoken a single word to anyone for that matter, which issued his close friends into worries and concern, especially the two dragons that were observing him at the moment.

"By the ancestors, look at him." Ember spoke. "He hasn't been able to sleep since last night. It's like he's not even acknowledging anything around him anymore."

In silence, Flame took a deep breath and spoke.

"Well, it's like I said, Ember, he needs time to himself for a while to cope with this. Come on, let's go."

As Flame walked off, Ember started to follow, but halted as her worried gaze diverted to the purple dragon inside the room.

It pained her greatly to see her friend in this kind of state. So much that the situation compels her to go and provide solace towards her friend. But Flame's words from last night told her otherwise. Spyro does need time to himself to cope with this.

Baring that to mind, Ember, with great hesitant, decided to make her leave in hopes to provide the purple dragon solace later on from the devastating events of yesterday's tragedy.

* * *

(**One Hour Later**)

An hour has passed, yet the purple dragon of prophecy remained secluded in his web of silence. His expression undeterred from its emotionless state without the purpose of acknowledgment to anything or anyone around him.

From the outside, he was devoid of emotion. From the inside, he was conflicted.

He couldn't feel anything anymore. It's as if half of him was gone the moment the life of his beloved was taken by the cruel hands of fate.

He thought he could cope with this, but he couldn't due to complications. How can he cope with the loss just one day short of the incident?

Cynder was his whole, now he only had half a heart. Now he only had half a soul. Now he only had a deep frown etched on his face to no end.

Seclusion and inner pain was his only comfort now. He didn't want to be disturbed by anyone at all, whether it is the elders or his close friends.

In the past, loneliness was his greatest fear in life, yet, at this moment, it has become his greatest form of comfort with no intention of release.

Recently, thoughts and voices of that day have littered his mind with endless results.

Although he kept to his previous stance throughout these thoughts, he was poisoned by inner turmoil.

The thoughts of his beloved's cries, her agony, her pain, the horrifying revelation in regards to that tragedy, the sheer anguish that he felt, and the nightmare that he experienced.

Every one of these events persisted in his mind to no end and it has pained him greatly. Yet, in some way, beyond that emotionless exterior, pain was his ultimate comfort, pain was his solace. And he would defy anyone who dares to take it away from him.

Suddenly, the constant tortuous voices in his mind were halted in interruption by the sound of one soft tone.

"Spyro?"

At first, the purple dragon failed to acknowledge the voice's existence, yet he issued a glance to the left to find Ember paddling slowly towards him, anxiety clearly present on her face.

As Ember halted her stop, Spyro slowly diverted his gaze forward.

"What do you want?" His voice held a dark tone, yet his expression grew undeterred.

Slightly startled by the response, Ember grew in hesitant silence for a second before speaking.

"I…I just want you to know that…you're not alone in this. Okay?"

"You're wrong."

The abrupt response came of a surprise to her as Spyro resumed, his emotionless face and his dark voice intact.

"I am alone. I feel that way, and fate always saw it that way."

In disbelief upon those words, the pink dragoness shook her head. True, she had her strong bitterness about fate upon its involvement in last night's tragedy, but she had sense enough to know that solace would comfort a grieving soul, not isolation.

"You don't mean that."

Spyro heard her, yet kept his stare towards the outside area with an inner sense of anger in his vein.

"Don't tell me what the fuck I don't mean."

"I'm sorry, just please take it easy."

"The mother of my child is gone. My unborn child is gone. Both are dead in a way I could never envision. And you're telling me to take it easy? Get out."

Although the response grew hurtful in spite of the expression on his face, Ember chose not to deter from him in her attempt to provide him solace as she approached further.

"Spyro, please…don't do this to yourself. Because Cyn—"

Suddenly, to her gasping shock, a harsh backhand was applied to her left cheek, which diverted Ember's attention to the right side.

A deep claw mark from the harsh attack was visibly seen as Ember, with a slow, shivery left paw, braced the wound on her face and flinched upon the stinging sensation before slowly issuing her mortifying gaze to the eyes of the purple dragon.

Spyro took note of this with full view, yet his cold, emotionless purple eyes didn't deter much to the pink dragoness' shock.

"Don't you _ever_ speak her name in my presence again." He spoke, darkly. "Now get…the fuck…out of my sight."

In strong hurtful silence, Ember slowly turned and made her departure from the room while Spyro issued his gaze back towards the outside area in his own seclusion without acknowledgment to her departure.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the courtyard, Ignitus and Flame, who were on their haunches, stood before the monument while speaking on the subject regarding the purple dragon.

"You should have seen him, Ignitus. I mean it was almost like he was not even there anymore, like a part of him is gone, failing to acknowledge anyone's existence or his own. He hasn't even been getting rest as of late. How can he shut himself off from us like that? How could he shut himself off from the world?"

In silence thought of the questions, the fire guardian diverted his gaze downward before speaking.

"Perhaps he needs time to adjust. It was once said that when someone that you care for has been taken from this world, you could never go back to who you once were before. But it is like you said, young one. Spyro needs time to himself until he is ready to accept our solace."

In silence, Flame considered this with a nod before paddling off from the courtyard, his talons and hind foot softly stomping the tile floors.

* * *

As Flame entered his quarter, he took note of Ember positioned on the cushion with tears staining her eyes.

"Are you okay?" He spoke out of concern.

Sniffing up her tears, Ember took note of his presence before nodding.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm…"

But she halted her statement to wipe the tears from her eyes. Afterwards, she resumed.

"I'm just a little conflicted, that's all."

Standing on his hind legs, he made his approach to her before kneeling at her side.

"Anything I can do?" He asked.

Ember shook her head slightly.

"No. Thank you." She responded before diverting her gaze away from him.

Flame issued a slight smile before it loosened to a frown upon sight of a visible claw mark on her left cheek. Slowly, he reached with his right paw to the wound.

As soon as the touch applied, the pink dragoness flinched upon the stinging sensation, which greatly concerned the orange dragon upon notice.

"Ember, how did this happen?"

In silence, Ember softly, yet delicately caressed the scar wounds with her left paw before issuing her tear-stained eyes to the orange dragon. She thought about issuing a lie to protect her purple friend, yet she wasn't keen on resorting to such methods.

"Flame, please don't hurt him."

Slightly confused, yet concerned, Flame spoke.

"Ember, hurt who, what happened?"

"I-I walked into the room. I know. It was foolish of me to do so considering what he is going through and—"

Flame's expression grew of disbelief upon this, yet before Ember could resume, he halted her by the gesture of his left paw.

"Whoa, wait a minute. Wait, did he—"

He started to ask, yet he has gotten his answer by the teary expression on her face before a sense of anger slowly took its form on his expression.

* * *

Spyro, who momentarily stood on his hind legs, was positioned at the glass-less window with his arms interlaced on the sill, staring blankly out into the outside world.

Then, he heard paddling footfalls quickly entering into his room, approaching closer at each passing second.

"I thought I told you to—"

He turned to face to what he would assume to be a pink dragoness trying to reach out to him, yet he was caught off-guard by the sheer force of a head butt attack to his midsection.

As Spyro grunted from the force of the attack, he was arched across the room and collided with the nearby cabinet, which violently rattled upon contact, before falling to the floor while the contents from the roof of the cabinet fell onto the ground beside him.

Coughing and panting, Spyro, while caressing his midsection, stared up into the eyes of an angered orange dragon, who slowly positioned himself on his hind legs while glaring down into the one responsible for the unprovoked physical attack on the pink dragoness.

Panting with the emotionless expression intact, Spyro strained himself to stand onto his two hind legs and grew successful.

Afterwards, he stared into the glaring eyes of the orange dragon known as Flame before slowly approaching towards his position. Pain was an apparent sense on his midsection, yet it was a pain that he embraced. A pain that he enjoyed.

"Is that all you got, Flame? Hmm? You want to try again?" He asked ever so calmly, yet Flame provided no response at the moment as Spyro spreads out his arms in a welcoming gesture. "Come on. Give it to me. Give me every—"

Spyro grunted as a right hook from the orange dragon was applied to his facial feature, yet the purple dragon welcome this sensation as he chuckled delightfully much to Flame's disgust.

"Come on, Flame." He spoke calmly, yet darkly as he slowly started to rise up. "Is that the best you can—"

He didn't get much of a chance to look in his direction, much less finish his words before the orange dragon applied his tail swiftly across the face of Spyro, who grunted upon impact.

As Spyro was breathing, Flame hastily grasped the purple dragon by both shoulders and forced him up against the cabinet with such force, it almost did a number on the purple dragon's wings while simultaneously rattling the cabinet.

"You want more pain? Is that what you want? Huh, you want more pain?!" He seethed in a shout as the purple dragon, to Flame's notice, kept his undeterred facial expression.

Regardless, the orange dragon anticipated what was going on and ceased his attacks as a request from the pink dragoness before speaking.

"You listen to me, and you listen very carefully. Cynder is a friend to all of us."

"Don't you say—" Spyro started, anger apparent in his voice, yet his expression remained before Flame intervened, slamming the purple dragon's back and head against the cabinet while applying his words.

"Shut the fuck up!! You shut up." He retorted in a seething tone before resuming in his normal tone. "She means so much to all of us and it has devastated us greatly upon this tragedy. Don't you dare make the mistake of thinking that you are the only one that lost someone, you understand me?"

Abruptly, he relinquished his hold on him as Spyro kept his silence and emotionless stare to him. Both young male dragons' distance were apart as silence was briefly greeted between the two.

"Now look, I understand that you are hurting inside. Hell, we all are hurting from this."

"You don't—" Spyro started, yet he was halted there by the seething tone of the orange dragon.

"I said, shut the hell up!"

Then, his normal tone returned.

"Now, if you want to be isolated in darkness and mental conflict while looking to the outside world, fine! Y-you want to take your anger out on God and the ancestors for this, fine! Do whatever the _fuck_ you want!!" He spoke before gesture his index finger to the purple dragon. "But that does _not _warrant you to put your hands on Ember the way you just did. It doesn't. And if you try it again, so help me ancestors, I will put you down to this ground from which you stand in a bloodstained heap, do you understand me?"

It pained him to say those words to his friend, but it was to be said. Ember is a friend of his and it mortified him greatly to discover that the purple friend that he has known since childhood inflict harm to the one female that was only trying to help him ease his suffering. It was unacceptable and was disallowed in anyone's presence, especially his.

He expected an answer, yet the only answer he has gotten was silence from the purple dragon, his eyes slowly blinking early so often during the speech. Then, as Flame lowered his index finger, he recently grew aware of the purple dragon's emotionless expression, which disgusted him upon such sight, yet anxiety was in its place.

"My God, Spyro, don't you even realize who you're hurting? Do you even remember what you did outside last night?"

Spyro grew unresponsive as Flame's expression slowly cringed with irritation upon notice.

"Or do you even give a damn anymore."

A long silence issued between the two dragons and before Flame could speak any further, the purple dragon spoke first.

"If you are finished, I would like to be left alone."

Tears were threatening to relinquish from the prison of Flame's eyes due to his failed attempts to reason with him. He tried to endure the tears, but failed in the end.

Spyro took note of this, yet grew unfazed by it.

"You know, I've always admired you, Spyro. Throughout my childhood, I have always admired you." His voice broke as he spoke. "But if you're going to keep doing this to us the way you're doing, you'll not only be hurting us or yourself, you'll be hurting _her _as well. And if that is what you truly want to do, than goddamn you."

It pained him ever so greatly to say such words, yet he resumed as he shook his head while retreating backwards away from the emotionless purple dragon.

"Goddamn you, you deserve to be alone."

With that said, he turned around and made his departure from the room while Spyro slowly made his way back to the windowsill to resume his blank watch to the outside world.

* * *

(**One Hour Later**)

" '_He who believes in fate, is guided, not by the intuition of the mind, but by the essence of the heart, towards one's true love. Thus that true love becomes his soul mate.'"_ Flame quoted as he looked to the fire guardian.

Recently, Flame explained the incident between him and Spyro that happened short of one hour ago. Although Ignitus grew displeased with the incident, the orange dragon explained why, which disturbed the fire guardian greatly.

Regardless, they remained on subject of the matter as Flame spoke while Ignitus listened with intent.

"That's what you said to him, which in turn, trailed from him to me. I did believe in fate most of the time, but after what happened last night, after Ember and I searched that entire area with nothing but dead-end results, I'm not sure as to what I believe in anymore, Ignitus. And Spyro, look what that night did to him. Ember told me she has witnessed three expressions on his face, all of which scares her to death. Last night when he was in his dark form, he had this vicious, deadly look in his eyes—a satisfying intent to kill anything that came his path--in response to his emotions. Then, when he left the courtyard to his quarter, he had a vengeful look in his eyes in his attempt to get his talons on the culprit held responsible. Not that I blame him for that. Mentally, I wanted my talons around the neck of the culprit, too, for what they've done. N-Now when fate got involved, he became this…this complete stranger. No emotions on his face, none. And then, he puts his talons on Ember because—"

"Because she mentioned her." Ignitus cut in.

A breath escaped Flame's maw as he diverted his gaze forward, yet irritation was present on his facial feature. He didn't know whether the fire guardian was defending Spyro on that subject, but refrained himself from getting into that issue.

"_That_, I understand. But he isn't the only one affected by this, okay? And he had no right—_absolutely no right_ to put his hand on a female. Yet, he chose not to have a care in the world anymore. Declination of solace, Ignitus, that's what he's doing to us. He doesn't want any comfort from us, none. He would rather dwell in isolation and taking his grievous anger out on our ancestors in the heavens for what has happened rather than seek any form of comfort from us. He even wanted me to inflict pain to him."

Then, his attention went to Ignitus, who issued his gaze to indicate that he was still listening with intent, yet grew surprised by the last comment.

"Are you certain?" He asked as Flame nodded.

"Yeah. You know what he said to me when he-when he got up from my first attack? He said, '_Is that all you got, Flame? Hmm? You want to try again?' _He wanted me to give it to him and he spoke so calmly of it, too. It's almost like he enjoys pain. He somewhat embraces it, l-like it was the only line of comfort for him. By the ancestors, I'm lucky enough to have stopped when I did before he could persuade me any further. I mean, yesterday, I couldn't bring myself to tell him about Cynder, but he figured it out anyway and it frightened him to no end. That was fear for losing her. And now, _this_ happened, pain was his embrace in the wake of last night. I mean, it's almost as if he's—"

Flame halted his statement upon a sudden thought occurring to him at the moment as his eyes widened in anxiety.

"My God, what if--you don't think he's—"

Ignitus shook his head in uncertainty, yet he anticipated what the orange dragon has reference to.

"I am not certain of this, young one, but I can only hope that it does not come to that."

In silence, Flame diverted his gaze forward in relative thought.

"I hope so, too. I hope so, too."

All was silence between the two as they started staring at the monument before them. However, both grew unaware that a pink dragoness at the doorway was observing them.

Ember's expression grew of anxiety upon what was said between them as her mind etched in thoughts. And judging by everything that has happened, she couldn't help but wonder: _Could her purple friend be thinking of doing something drastic?_ She didn't know. Yet, regardless, she retired back to her room in hopes to discuss it with Flame later on.

* * *

(**Five Minutes Later**)

Five minutes has passed as Flame paddled in the room to find Ember resting comfortably on the cushion with her head rested on her forepaws.

Approaching her position, he sat down on his haunches and muzzled along the side of her face to issue her attention.

"You okay?"

Ember nodded.

"Yeah. You?"

In silence with a frown visibly seen on his face, Flame's wings flickered as an indication of a shrug and spoke.

"I don't know. I really don't." He spoke in a saddened tone.

Upon this reaction, Ember decided to speak on the matter that was discussed earlier.

"Listen, Flame, I, um…I heard what you said with Ignitus. Now I can't say that I disagree with you on your reaction to Spyro's behavior. Believe me, I have experienced that first paw. But do you really believe that he would go this far into this depression that he's in?"

In silence, Flame shook his head.

"Truthfully, I don't know, Ember. I mean, we both witnessed Spyro's mood changes both mentally and emotionally since yesterday's incident, including today. But in any case, there is nothing we could do right now."

"So what do you suggest?"

"I suggest we take my advice and leave him be until he is ready to accept solace from us and cope with the loss. And maybe then, he'll apologize for his actions."

In silence, Ember nodded in agreement as she and Flame issued their rest for the night.

* * *

_**Originally, I was going to post this chap on Christmas day as a Christmas present to you wonderful reviewers, yet it was too late. But regardless, Merry belated Christmas to you all. There is only one chap left. Keep on the lookout. Ciao**_!

Next chap: _Spyro comes upon a revelation that will inspire him to make an impossible choice_.


	8. Departure

**Chapter Eight: Departure  
**

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* * *

**

(**The Next Night**)

As night three came and progressed, the elders and the others were visited by Hunter, Bianca, and Sparx, who were anxious to know of any progress with their purple friend.

Sadly, the elders' shook their heads in response, which discouraged them at this point. Yet, they grew unprepared for what came next as Ember and Flame issued their explanation on what transpired on the second night, not just with Spyro's sleepless nights.

Afterwards, they grew in stunned silence, especially Sparx, upon learning of the turmoil that the purple dragon was going through.

Sparx almost felt compelled to go and comfort his adoptive brother, but Flame's warning told him otherwise. Clearly, Spyro wasn't in the best state of mind to receive any form of solace from friends or family. The mark on Ember's face was living proof of that.

Reluctantly, he relented in hopes that Spyro would snap from his depression.

* * *

_"CYNDER!!!!!!!!!!!"_

_"Do you also remember how you have freed me from my master's grip only to see to my demise in the future?"_

"_And more importantly, what more can you do for her knowing that she perished in your arms along with the knowledge that you were held responsible for her demise."_

"_I am sorry, young ones, but…it pains me greatly to say that…Cynder's demise…was an act of fate._"

"_W-Why-why can't you just take me, huh? Huh, why don't you take me? Huh?! I was a victim of his evil, too. Take me, too. Com-COME ON, TAKE ME, TOO!!!"_

"_It's my fault. I'm the one that left her. I killed my beloved_."

These were the recent voices constantly persisting in his mind. Recently, images of the tragedy and the events following from that, including the nightmare, became a huge nudge to push the purple dragon in the position that he was previously in.

It was unbearable, yet comforting to him without any means of escape.

Blinking his eyes, which carried baggage from the sleepless nights, the purple dragon decided to issue a rest for himself. The nightmares will come and the voices will persist, to which he tried avoiding by way of insomnia, but there was nothing to be done about it anymore.

Spyro was about to turn around and head towards the cushion when he halted upon seeing an object on the floor at the foot of the cabinet.

With a slow approach, he kneeled and grasped the object in his left paw before standing.

As Spyro gazed the object, he started absentmindedly heading back towards the glass-less window.

As soon as he got there, he noticed the coloration of golden on it. Then, a memory resurfaced at the core of his mind, which slightly flinched him from his previous expression. He remembered this jewelry. It was what his beloved graced him with, her necklace clearly absent from the scene since it was buried along with her. Then, he remembered the words that he spoke of that was issued for him.

"'_To my one true love...You are my salvation from the pit of darkness; you are my angel of light from the heavens_. _You are my love_.'"

Then, he remembered the words that the black dragoness spoke of that was issued for her.

"_ 'To my one true love...You are my heart to beat; you are my soul to keep_. _You are my bright sun; you are my everlasting moon_. _You are my love.'"_

Upon that thought, his expression slowly diverted from one of no emotion to one emotion of sadness before he looked down to the golden exterior gracing around the pendant. Then, he saw, from his point of view, her elegant face and her beautiful sapphire eyes reflecting on the gold exterior under the moon's light.

The very sight brought a tear from his left eye along with a strong sense of sadness in his orbs, yet the deep frown remained. He wanted to be with her ever so badly. He couldn't live without her. Words of the past littered his mind as he reminisced.

"_Why won't you fight back_?"

"_Because you've left me nothing to fight for._"

Those words were back before their battle with Malefor himself inside his lair. Back when he forced his control onto her again.

Then, the thought of the nightmare littered his mind.

"_I LOVED HER MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD!!!"_

_"Even more than your own life?"_

That question…it has been on his mind to no end since the nightmare, yet he was blindly unaware of it due to his mental turmoil. Then, he came to thought of an event that recently took place…something that brought a strong ounce of inspiration and anticipation into him.

"_You have always given me something to believe in…something to fight for…something to live for. You gave that to me. And whatever future lies before us, I swear to you on my life that we will live together, and we will die together. That is a promise_."

"We live together, we die together." His voice trembled in a whisper.

That's it. Now he was provided the knowledge of what it meant. He does love her more than his life, thus the answer to the question was death. He wanted to be together with Cynder again…if not in this world, then in the afterlife. That was his promise to her and he intends to keep it.

He grew careless of his own well-being. That very night has done the damage to him. He still remembers his previous actions against his friends due to his depression through lack of emotion. At this moment, he seeks to never do that again. He cares not of his destiny, whether to save the world or end it, he cares not. It has been in doubt from the moment she was taken from this world. He wanted it over. He wanted out of this world for good. No being a hero, no being a prophecy dragon, nothing. He didn't ask for it, to be a purple dragon of prophecy, none of it. All he wants is to be in the soft embrace of his beloved.

Mentally, the purple dragon thought about ending it right here, or jump from the window, but he couldn't. He knew the elders and his close friends well, especially his adoptive brother, Sparx. They would stop him at a moment's notice, which means he has to leave, not just the room, not just the temple, but from the village. He shouldn't be here. It held too much memories of that tragic day. He needed to leave. And what better way to do it than tonight. But it was only fair that the others know of this, keeping his true agenda in secret. Yet, it comes into question as to how they would react to this, which puts him into debate of whether or not he should tell them.

Slowly, determination and inner courage etched his facial feature upon mentally coming to a decisive choice. He has made his decision no sooner before he noticed, by the corner of his left eye, the presence of the fire guardian gazing sadly upon him from the doorway.

Ignitus was about to make his leave, but halted upon the call of his name.

The purple dragon kept his position to the glass-less window, his face hidden from the fire guardian's eyes as he sighed deeply and spoke.

"Can you gather everyone into the courtyard, please? I, uh…I am ready to apologize."

In silence, Ignitus issued a curt nod.

"Of course."

Then, he made his leave while Spyro's sorrow was briefly shown onto his face. Then, he looked down to the golden pendant in his paw before his sorrowful gaze slowly masked to a stern hardened gaze.

Slowly, he veered closer and issued a soft kiss to the pendant before placing it firmly on the sill. Afterwards, he looked to the outside clouds in the skies.

"Please forgive me for what I am prepared to do." He spoke softly towards the skies.

But it was not towards the heavens or the ancestors. He didn't believe in Heaven. Not anymore. If he did, his beloved would still be by his side, alive and well along with their child. That belief has now been severed from his very essence.

"I love you, Cynder." He said before issuing his leave from the room.

* * *

Ignitus and the other elder guardians, who recently were absent in the confinement of their quarters throughout the three-night period of mourning, were assembled in front of the monument while Hunter, Bianca, Flame, Ember, and Sparx were positioned several feet away next to the doorways.

All were in silence while awaiting the arrival of the purple dragon, yet anxiety masked the features of some for him.

Suddenly, footfalls were heard, which issued the attention of those that are presence in the courtyard.

There, they saw the sight of Spyro, who was positioned on his hind legs with his wings folded back, making his entrance inside the courtyard, his tail dragging to the floor limply during his approach.

Throughout his approach, Hunter, Bianca, Sparx, and the guardians, minus Flame and Ember, bore witness to the condition of the purple dragon.

Although his purple scales were ruffed up from his confrontation with Flame, his eyes were increasingly blood-cracked with baggage underneath as a result of sleepless nights while the frown still graced strongly upon his feature.

It was a sight that increasingly disturbed the guardians to no end as well as his friends, which came into questions on their minds. Has this tragedy reduced their purple friend to such state? There was an obvious answer, yet those were in disbelief by it.

Although they have witnessed this before, both Flame and Ember's expression grew of strong anxiety for their purple friend's condition as Spyro halted his walk before the four guardians, his tail slowly recovering back to its original, soft swaying position.

The guardians, including his friends took note of the stern hardened expression on his face, which indicated to them that the purple dragon has broken free from his recent state.

Regardless, a long awkward silence mounted over those that were presence in the courtyard.

With the expression intact, Spyro's head slightly hung to avoid the elders' eyes before speaking.

"I, uh…"He started slightly raspy before clearing his throat a bit. "I called you all here tonight to, um…to apologize for my recent actions from yesterday. I hope you can forgive me."

Spyro looked up to Ignitus and the other elders in hopes to get a response.

Slightly hesitant, Ignitus issued his nod of approval towards the purple dragon.

"Apology accepted, Spyro."

The elders issued their nods of agreement as well as Spyro turned his head around towards his close friends in hopes to get their forgiveness.

Flame and Ember issued their smiles and nodded in response while Hunter, Bianca, and Sparx did likewise.

Spyro wanted to break his frown and smile upon these reactions, yet he couldn't bring himself to do so. Instead, he, to his close friends' notice, diverted his purple orbs downward with the stern expression intact before directing his head back around.

His close friends, especially Flame, Ember, and Sparx, grew concerned by this reaction, yet chose not to speak on the matter yet as Spyro kept his head hung in his thoughts while Ignitus and the elders took note of this.

"Is there something else, young one?" Ignitus asked.

Spyro provided no response as he braced his left paw to his maw with his head hung and his eyes downward in avoidance to their gaze while gathering his thoughts.

Mentally, he was in debate as to whether or not he should tell them. Yet, he has made the decision to disregard it. He has to tell them. Whether they would understand or not, it wasn't his problem. His main goal at this moment is to leave. Leave this temple; leave this life…leave this world towards his beloved. It was his promise to her.

Baring that clear thought in mind, Spyro relinquished his paw from his maw with a deep sigh escaping from it before issuing his attention to the guardians, momentarily glancing at the monument positioned behind them.

"Yeah. I am, uh…I have considered issuing my departure from the temple, from the whole village."

Startled into silence, the elders grew at a loss by the purple dragon's sudden words while his close friends, whom has issued the same reaction, gazed upon one another in question to this.

"W-what is he doing?" Flame asked, yet the others didn't know as well.

"You're leaving?" Volteer eventually spoke after a while of silence.

In silence with the stern hardened expression on his face to mask his sorrow, Spyro issued a slight nod in response.

However, Terrador, with a hint of concern, managed to notice the hidden expression behind the exterior of the purple dragon's facial feature, yet the stern hardened expression gave notice to a different conclusion.

"Spyro, you have to understand that we've all felt the burden behind Cynder's death. But pursuing this as an act of vengeance—"

"It's not revenge." Spyro intervened before slowly lowering his gaze from their line of sight.

Slowly, Ignitus, due to the tone, took anticipation of the purple dragon's expression as one of despair before his concern increased upon this.

"Spyro, I know you're disturbed, but—"

"Ignitus…" Spyro intervened sternly in a whisper while suppressing the urge to release a single tear from the prison of his purple eyes as he slightly shook his head. "…I… I don't want to do this anymore. I can't."

The response forced the elders into stunned shock while his friends grew shocked from this turn of event.

Then, slowly and sternly, Spyro slowly looked into the eyes of his father figure, Ignitus. Both grew in silence before three words escaped his lips.

"I am done."

It was a brief silent, yet stunning stare-off between Spyro and Ignitus before the purple dragon turned and walked from the elders' sight.

During his walk towards the entryway of the courtyard, his close friends wasted little time in issuing their questions and their protest to his sudden actions, yet it grew on deaf ears to the purple dragon as he kept to his walk without a word from his maw or making any eye contact.

_In my mind, I was never alone. I was with friends and family. Though in my heart, my slow, aching beating heart, I was with the love of my life, the mother of my child, the moon to my sun. Now she was taken from this world, and I am alone, deeply alone. No matter how hard I try, no matter how many times others had tried to tell me otherwise, I was still alone…but no longer_.

* * *

As the purple dragon exited the temple from the entrance, ignoring voices calling to him along the way, Sparx and Ember managed to catch up to him and block his path as he halted his stop with the same expression intact

Strong anxiety was clearly on Sparx and Ember's face upon this scenery, yet the purple dragon's expression remained undeterred.

"Spyro, what are you doing?! After all we've been through! You can't give up, y-you never give up!" Sparx spoke while hovering in front of the purple dragon's face.

In silence, with the expression intact, Spyro spoke.

"I just did, Sparx."

Stunned shock was Sparx's reaction upon those words as Spyro started to continue walking.

However, a pink dragoness held him back with both paws to his chest as Spyro looked down to find that it was Ember, whose pleading eyes were on the verge of tears upon this display.

"Please, don't do this, Spyro. Please." She pleaded while softly shaking her head during her words.

With the expression intact, Spyro, his stern, yet blood-cracked purple eyes meeting anxious sky blue orbs, issued his right paw to slowly caress the pink dragoness' left cheek that withheld the slowly healing claw marks that he present her with just a day ago, Ember feeling comfort by the touch, yet her anxiety remained.

He highly regretted that incident ever taking place at all, which is all the more reason for him to leave.

"I'm sorry." He apologized.

Yet, it was not only for the scar that he caused, but also for his departure from the only home and friends that he knows.

Without another word, Spyro relinquished his touch from Ember and—the scenery taking a dramatic phase--waltzed on ahead, his wings folded back and his tail swaying ever so sadly, leaving a devastated pink dragoness and a stunned dragonfly behind while the elders and others, who has made it to the entrance shortly after the saddening display, bared witness to this.

_I no longer believe in Heaven, for fate has taken my love from me. I no longer fear Death nor do I fear pain, for Death and pain is my only solace. Death is what I believe in. And I welcome it with open arms_.

Spyro was only a couple of feet away before Ember, her face cringed strongly in saddened reaction upon this sight, started to run to the purple dragon's position while screaming out to him in hopes to persuade him not to leave.

Upon quick notice, Flame followed after her in hopes to stop her, but by the time he has gotten halfway there, it was too late.

Spyro extended his wings and took to the air into the night skies while his closest friends, including the elders, looked up to his departure in saddened silence.

Tears formed in Sparx's eyes upon this scenery as he slowly closed them, his tears flowing in the process, and hung his head.

Ember, however, grew beyond devastation as walls of tears formed in her eyes. Then, in an act of desperation, she started to take flight in hopes to go after him, yet Flame held her at bay while she, upon noticing that her purple friend was out of sight, ceased her brief struggle and slowly started relenting, tears and sobs strongly present on her facial feature as the orange dragon held her close in solace.

Afterwards, the guardians and the others made their way towards Flame, Ember, and Sparx's position while looking up towards the night skies where their purple friend has vanished. Words couldn't describe the emotions that they were feeling as Ignitus' expression grew of both sadness upon this sight, guilt also being present on his face due to his failure to prevent this from happening while they resumed their stare into the darkened night.

_To this day, I care not for my destiny…because for me, my destiny was already decided by the sheer cruelty of fate_.

* * *

On the windowsill, a lone golden pendant was present there while the moon's light endlessly reflected off the gold.

_I was no longer destined to save the world, nor end it. I was no longer destined to live a normal life like others. And I can never go back to who I once was anymore nor can I hold my beloved and child in the physical realm. Fate saw to all of that. Therefore, my only destiny is one that I can never escape, nor avoid. My destiny…is death. But it was just the question of when that fate will come for me. I just hope it would be soon. Fear not, my beloved. In the end, I will join you shortly_.

_I love you, Cynder_.

**The End**.

* * *

_**Phew! That ends the saddening prequel story, yet it begins Spyro's fated destiny of his own demise. You know which story comes after this, so read if you like at your own risk. I would like to thank the reviewers for their feedback on this story. It took me time and effort, but thanks nonetheless.**_

**_Also, I was thinking of reinventing the game with my own fictional version due to the video game industry's appalling rating for Dawn of the Dragon. But that has yet to be determined at this time. I'm also looking for a good poetry writer as a request to issue a good one-shot poetry based on this story entitled 'I Cry For You, I Die For You.' Kind of catchy, huh? I'd do it myself, but I'm not much good at poetry, nor was it on my list of favorites on my bio. Heh._**

**_Anyway, with this done, I could take Blade off the hiatus list. That is, if I don't get writer's block along the way. Enjoy the coming new years of 2009. I know I will. Heh. Heh. Ciao!_**


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